CBC.CA - IAAF World Track and Field Championships

Helsinki 1983

In the first global gathering of athletes in 11 years, Helsinki, Finland played host to the first World Track and Field Championships
A young Carl Lewis made his presence felt at the worlds, winning gold in the 100 metres, 4X400 relay and long jump
Teenaged Ukrainian Sergei Bubka won the first of his six gold medals in the pole vault
East German Heike Drechsler, then known as Daute, produced the upset of the championships, beating world-record holder Anisoara Cusmir in the long jump to win gold and become the youngest champion at the age of 18
It was in Helsinki that American track legend Edwin Moses sat down with a group of reporters and spoke out about the rampant drug use that was threatening to destroy international sports

Rome 1987

After winning four golds at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, Lewis entered Rome hoping to build on his track legacy
The American sprinter could only shake his head as Canadian Ben Johnson exploded out of the blocks and captured gold in a world-record time of 9.83 seconds. Lewis captured silver in a time of 9.93
But Ben Johnson’s world record was eliminated, and his gold medal stripped, after the sprinter admitted -- in the wake of his disgrace in the 1988 Seoul Olympics -- to taking drugs at the time of the championships. Lewis received the gold and the world record
Almost lost in the hype and activity following Johnson’s gold medal was a record-breaking performance from Stefka Kostadinova. The Bulgarian set the present world record mark in the women’s high jump, soaring 2.09 metres.

Tokyo 1991

Dismissed as too old to compete in the 100m, Lewis proved his critics wrong, overtaking Leroy Burrell at the line to win the race in a world-record time of 9.86 seconds
While Lewis’ performance was amazing, it was nothing compared to what Mike Powell did in the long jump event. With thunder hanging in the air, the American leaped 8.95m to break Bob Beamon’s 23-year-old record of 8.90. Many track observers predicted that Beamon’s mark would last into the 21st century
Michael Johnson also started his legacy as one of the greatest athletes in track in Tokyo. Johnson won the 200m by the biggest margin at any championship since the legendary Jesse Owens at the 1936 Berlin Olympics

Stuttgart 1993

After dominating the world of sprinting for over a decade, Lewis did not qualify for the 100m in Stuttgart, but he did come away with a bronze in the 200m. That gave him 10 world championship medals, tops among all male athletes
Linford Christie highlighted a strong showing for Britain, beating Andre Cason and Dennis Mitchell to win the 100m. Compatriots Colin Jackson (110m hurdles) and Sally Gunnell (400m hurdles) both won their events in record time
Jamaica’s Merlene Ottey captured her first individual world title in the women’s 200m after taking silver in the event in 1983 and bronze in 1987 and 1991. She would go on to win a record 14 medals in her career
Sprinter Gail Devers won gold in the women’s 100m to begin America’s domination of the event

Gothenburg, 1995

Michael Johnson struck gold twice in Gothenburg, becoming the first athlete to win the 200m and 400m at the world championships. He would repeat the feat one year later, at the Atlanta Olympics
British athlete Jonathan Edwards was the biggest story at Gothenburg. The athlete, who once refused to compete on Sundays due to religious beliefs, was absolutely divine at the worlds, becoming the first person to jump farther than 18 metres in the triple jump final. No one has surpassed his jump of 18.29m
Canada’s Donovan Bailey and Bruny Surin took the top two spots in the 100m. Bailey took gold in a time of 9.97 followed by Surin in 10.03 seconds
Gwen Torrence finished first in the 200m, but was disqualified when it was ruled that she ran out of her lane. Instead, Ottey received the gold medal
Ethopian Haile Gebrselassie won the first of four straight world titles in the 10,000m, beating 1991 champion Moses Tanui of Kenya
Born in Kenya but running for Denmark, Wilson Kipketer captured the first of his three straight titles in the 800m

Athens, 1997

No new world records were set in Athens, but it produced plenty of drama and a few great performances
Athens marked the first time athletes received money in an outdoor world competition. Winners received $60,000 US, followed by $30,000 for second and $20,000 for third
A number of top performers – Americans Michael Johnson, Gail Devers and Dan O’Brien – failed to qualify for the worlds due to injuries
Athens marked the breakout of track’s current premier sprinters, America’s Maurice Greene and Marion Jones
Greene beat 1996 Olympic gold medallist and world record holder Donovan Bailey for his first title in the 100m, while Jones won the women’s event and launched what has so far been a brilliant career
After falling at the bell in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and finishing with a silver, Hicham El Guerrouj won his first 1,500m title
Haile Gebrselassie re-affirmed his status as one of the world’s greatest long distance runners of all time, cruising to his third straight world title in the 10,000m

Seville, 1999

On the hot track of Seville, Gebrselassie built on his growing legend, triumphing in the 10,000m to add another world title to his trophy case
Abel Anton gave Spain reason to celebrate in the streets, defending his gold in the marathon
Greene defended his 100m title, beating Surin in a time of 9.80.
The performance of the championships came from Michael Johnson, who not only set a world record in capturing his fourth title in the 400m, but captured his unprecedented eighth gold medal at the championships. Lewis held the record with seven golds.
Johnson added to his total later at the championships, helping lead the 4X400 relay team to victory
Marion Jones defended her gold medal by winning the 100m in a time of 10.70 seconds. Jones failed to qualify for the finals in the 200, but claimed bronze in the long jump
Jones’ husband at the time, C.J. Hunter, won the shot put title. He would test positive for steroids the following year

Edmonton 2001

The championships come to North America for the first time, although the host Canadians fail to land an athlete on the medal podium
Top Canadian performance: Diane Cummins' fifth-place finish in the women's 800m
No world records are broken
Canadian 100-metre champion Venolyn Clarke of Oshawa, Ont., tested positive for traces of an anabolic steroid and was immediately dropped from the team
The United States and Russia lead the medal standings with 19 medals apiece
Zhanna Pintusevich-Block of Ukraine upsets heavy favourite Marion Jones of the U.S. in the 100 metres, snapping Jones' string of 42 consecutive victories in 100-metre finals
Kenyan Charles Kamathi stuns four-time world champion Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia in the men's 10,000 metres
Canadian sprinters Donovan Bailey and Bruny Surin participate in their final major competition -- Bailey finishes sixth in his 100m heat, while Surin pulls up with a hamstring injury about 70m into the race

Since 1912, the International Association of Athletics Federations has governed scores of athletic foundations, set technical standards and kept the record books.

Since then, the IAAF has not only grown to more than 200 affiliated federations, it has also managed the evolution of the modern track and field: from the move toward professionalism to the growing impact of television broadcasts.

In 1983, the IAAF established the World Track and Field Championships, a biennial competition rivaled in prestige only by the Olympic Games.