Posted: March 7, 2006

Athletics: New IAAF World Athletics Tour Begins In Melbourne

Monte-Carlo - The IAAF World Athletics Tour 2006, the new world circuit of 1 day athletics’ meetings, is ready for the starter’s gun this Thursday 9 March when the first IAAF Grand Prix meeting of 2006 opens the series in Melbourne, Australia. After cross-crossing the globe in the coming months, the circuit will conclude at the 4th IAAF World Athletics Final which takes place in Stuttgart, Germany for the first time on 9 – 10 September 2006.

The IAAF World Athletics Tour (WAT) is composed of 24 Permit Meetings, divided into two levels. The first comprises the IAAF Golden League and Super Grand Prix, and the second level, the Grand Prix meetings, with each IAAF Continental Association represented by at least one WAT meeting.

To maintain quality control of a circuit which aims to promote the very best of 1 day athletics, there will be an annual evaluation of all aspects of every meeting’s organization. Based on this objective review, the IAAF World Tour Working Group will decide the meetings for the following year’s WAT in October. >IAAF World Athletics Final – Qualification Points Scoring System

For athletes to qualify for the IAAF World Athletics Final there is a new scoring system, and at each WAT meeting, points are allocated to the best 8 athletes in each event (12 for middle distances):

IAAF Golden League & Super Grand Prix

1. 20 pts                                                               
2. 16 pts                                                          
3. 14 pts                                                                 
4. 12 pts                                                                 
5. 10 pts                                                                 
6.   8 pts                                                                 
7.   6 pts                                                                 
8.   4 pts                                                                 

IAAF Grand Prix

1. 10 pts
2.   8 pts
3.   7 pts
4.   6 pts
5.   5 pts
6.   4 pts
7.   3 pts
8.   2 pts

For middle distances (1500m and above), the athletes finishing 9th to 12th will also score points:

IAAF Golden League & Super Grand Prix: 3 points

IAAF Grand Prix: 1 pt

If an athlete equals a World record, he/she will be awarded a bonus of 3 points; if he/she improves the World record, the bonus will be 6 points.

In addition to the WAT meetings, athletes can also score qualifying points for the World Athletics Final in a number of Area Permit Meetings.
These points are:

1. 6 pts
2. 4 pts
3. 2 pts
4. 1 pt

IAAF World Athletics Final – Who and how many qualify?

After the last WAT meeting before the World Athletics Final, the 7 Athletes per each event (11 athletes for races of 1500m and over) which have the highest number of points from their best 5 results (4 for throws) - will be qualified for the Final. The IAAF reserves the right to invite a maximum of 1 wild-card Athlete per event.

It is a condition that athletes have scored points in at least 3 meetings, and in case of a tie the athlete with best seasonal best qualify for the Final.

IAAF World Athletics Tour 2006

9 March Melbourne AUS - Grand Prix
29 April Dakar SEN - Grand Prix
6 May Osaka JPN - Grand Prix
12-May Doha QAT - Super Grand Prix
21-May Belem BRA - Grand Prix
28-May Hengelo NED - Grand Prix
28 May Eugene USA - Grand Prix
30 May Ostrava CZE - Grand Prix
2 June Oslo NOR - Golden League
11 June Gateshead GBR - Grand Prix
3 July Athens GRE - Super Grand Prix
7 July Paris FRA - Golden League
11 July Lausanne SUI - Super Grand Prix
14 July Rome ITA - Golden League
17 July Madrid ESP - Grand Prix
25 July Stockholm SWE - Super Grand Prix
26 July Helsinki FIN - Grand Prix
28 July London GBR - Super Grand Prix
18 August Zurich SUI - Golden League
20 August Monaco MON - Super Grand Prix
25 August Brussels BEL - Golden League
27 August Rieti ITA - Grand Prix
31 August Zagreb SCG - Grand Prix
3 September Berlin GER - Golden League
 
9 / 10 September - 4th IAAF World Athletics Final, Stuttgart, Germany

Area Meetings scoring for World Athletics Tour

2005
14 December Hamilton NZL

2006
3 March Brisbane AUS
6 May Abuja NGR
6 May Kingston JAM
7 May Porto Alegre BRA
14 May Rio BRA
17 May Fortaleza BRA
18 May Bangkok THA
21 May Carson USA
22 May Bangalore IND
28 May Pune IND
3 June Huelva ESP
3 June New York USA
4 June Bydgoszcz POL
5 June Prague CZE
6 June Turin ITA
9 June Lille FRA
13 June Luzern SUI
17 June Rabat MAR
18 June Warsaw POL
20 June Zaragoza ESP
22 June Alger ALG
24 June Kazan RUS
21 July Rethymno GRE
22 July Heusden BEL
24 July Thessaloniki GRE
28 July Tallinn EST
22 August  Linz AUT
30 August Rovereto ITA

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