Members of the Daegu 2011 LOC team in Doha (© Bob Ramsak)
The selection of Barcelona as host the 2012 World Junior Championships and a detailed progress report by the Local Organising Committee of the World Championships in Athletics – Daegu 2011 highlighted the concluding day of the IAAF Council Meeting in Doha.
The 14th edition of the World Junior Championships will be held in Barcelona’s Olympic Stadium which hosted the Games in 1992 and which will also host the 2010 European Championships.
Looking forward to the next edition of the World Championships, members of the IAAF Council and IAAF President Lamine Diack said they were impressed by the progress being made.
“We are extremely pleased with the progress being made,” President Diack said. “And we will continue to work with our partners to ensure that these will be the best ever World Championships.”
The report focused on several aspects of the LOC’s recent activities, including its continued promotional campaign, and updates on Daegu Stadium and other facilities
Second Promotion phase begins
The second phase of the LOC’s promotional campaign, ‘Creating Championships Mood’ began in January of this year, with several key components planned for the upcoming months.
The first event of the second of three promotional phases will be the unveiling of the Official Mascot of the Championships on 14 April, coinciding with the ‘500 Days to Go’ countdown event. Organisers will also introduce the official poster of the Championships on the same day.
Additionally a ‘Kids Experience Athletics’ event will be held on 5 May, the National Children’s Day in Korea. And finally, the ticket sale launch will be held on 27 August to mark the one-year countdown to the Championships.
Noteworthy too will be construction of the Athletics Promotion Centre, whose groundbreaking was celebrated on 28 January. The 27,000 sq/m facility will house an Athletics Academy and various training facilities and will be a legacy for athletics in Korea. The 5000-seat venue is expected to be completed by 2011.
Daegu Stadium upgrades
The LOC also reported that designs for other refurbishments of Daegu Stadium have been finalised. The stadium’s giant screens will be replaced by May of this year, in time for the 6th Colorful Daegu Pre-Championships Meeting, an IAAF World Challenge Meeting, on 19 May. Additionally, resurfacing of the track is expected to be completed by December 2010.
A warm-up area for the throwing events, specially constructed for the Championships and located just 150 metres from Daegu Stadium, will be completed by July 2011.
Test Events
Two of the final test events have been announced and will take place in Spring 2011. The 3rd Daegu International Marathon on 10 April 2011 will serve as the test event for the road races, while the 7th Colorful Daegu Pre-Championships Meeting in May 2011 will serve as the test event for the events on the track and field.
Media-related updates
Early last year, the LOC confirmed the Korean Broadcasting System (KBS), the premier public broadcaster in Korea, as the Host Broadcaster of the championships. KBS is currently finalizing its plans to produce the international signal, with the plan expected to be submitted to the IAAF for approval by April 2010. The World Broadcasters’ meeting is scheduled for October 2010.
The LOC and Daegu authorities have also decided to construct a 400-room Media Village, located less than 10 minutes from the Daegu Stadium.
Volunteer recruitment
Organisers also reported that during its first volunteer recruitment phase, 2072 volunteers in nine fields of operation were assembled The second recruitment phase, begun on 22 February and to last until 31 March, is targeting 3000 volunteers.
IAAF Green Project
In line with the city’s promise of hosting an environmentally-friendly championships in conjunction with the IAAF Green Project, the LOC and city have put forth many efforts to this end, such as securing solar-powered generator systems that utilize new and renewable energy. The city will also embark on introducing eco-friendly transportation systems and products. These endeavors, organizers note, are aimed not only at hosting a green championships, but also to leave a lasting legacy for future generations.
Weather Forecast
And finally, it is interesting to note that over the past five years, the average August and September temperature was 23.98 C. (75 F.), and average humidity 70.46%.
IAAF
Pictured, members of the Daegu 2011 Local Organising Committee, in Doha: From left - Jerry Ling, Deputy Director of International Liaison; Nicole John, Manager of Marketing Team; Sam-Ryong Choi, Director General of Planning and Coordination Office; Dong-Hoo Moon, Vice President and Secretary General; Sunny Kim, International Liaison Officer
