IAAF President Diack with his Vice-Presidents (Coe absent due to LOCOG duties) and Treasurer (all front row), and the representatives of the founding national Member Federations of the IAAF at the 16 July 2012 dinner at the Fairmont Hotel, Monte-Carlo (© Philippe Fitte)
This evening (16 July) the 17 founding Member Federations of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) met in Monaco, the Mediterranean Principality which has been the home of the sport’s world governing body since October 1993, for a commemorative dinner to celebrate the Centenary of the world governing body for the sport of Athletics which takes place tomorrow.
Hosted by IAAF President Lamine Diack and his Vice-Presidents, a cocktail followed by dinner was given in the roof top Horizon Restaurant of the Fairmont Hotel, Monte-Carlo to mark the historic moment in the sport.
On the 17 July 1912 in Stockholm, Sweden, following the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games in the Swedish capital, the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) was founded by 17 nations who saw the need for a world governing authority, for a competition programme, for standardised rules and technical equipment and for a list of official World Records. The IAAF, which in 2001 changed its name to the ‘International Association of Athletics Federations,’ turns 100 years old on 17 July 2012.
To mark the occasion in addition to the medals and diplomas all the 212 IAAF Member Federations have received, each of the 17 representatives were tonight presented with a commemorative IAAF Centenary Plaque.
The founding IAAF Member Federations were Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Norway, Russia, Sweden, and USA.
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On Tuesday 17 July, Centennial Day, the HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco, who is Honorary President of the International Athletic Foundation (IAF) and President of the Fédération Monégasque d'Athlétisme, will lead the Principality of Monaco’s celebration of the IAAF’s birthday by hosting garden party and with the principality’s issuing of a commemorative postage stamp.
IAAF Centenary celebrations will continue throughout the year. The World Athletics Gala on 24 November will be the centre piece of a weekend of celebrations in Barcelona, Spain which will be attended by dozens of legendary champions from athletics history. An IAAF Centenary Historic Exhibition displaying an unrivalled collection of historic athletics memorabilia will also take place in the Catalan capital. Hosted by the Joan Antoni Samaranch Olympic and Sports Museum, it will be open to the public for six weeks in the autumn (13 October to 25 November).
A Commemorative Book and a TV series are also being produced, and along with celebrations such as at the traditional IAAF Dinner, which takes place on the eve of the athletics competitions at the London Olympics, will further commemorate the IAAF’s special anniversary.
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