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IAAF W ORLD U18 REPORT

MESSAGE FROM THE IAAF PRESIDENT - LORD SEBASTIAN COE

try to have hosted these Championships, as back
in 2005 Morocco staged the then World Youth
Championships, nevertheless this edition in the
Kenyan capital marks another important organ-
isational step for Africa to organising the senior IAAF
World Championships.
Teams from over 100 countries have gathered
here in Nairobi for fi ve days of athletics at the Moi
KYEB
International Sports Centre, Kasarani, for what
promises to be a marvellous celebration of youth
athletics. e host team cheered on by a passionate
audience, who know a thing or two about top class
middle and long distance running, can be expected
to add to their historic tally of 43 gold medals won at
the nine previous editions of these Championships.
I look forward to the Championships and the op-
portunity to soak in the sporting culture of a country
which lives and breathes running. In many respects
visiting Kenya represents a pilgrimage to one of the
temples of athletics which, from the fi rst Olympic
triumphs of Amos Biwott, Kipchoge Keino and
Naftali Temu in the 1960s, have produced some of
the world’s greatest endurance athletes.
KENYA YEARBO0K
On behalf of the IAAF, I would like to thank the
Kenyan people for extending such a warm welcome
to the global athletics family and to acknowledge
everyone who has helped make these championships
EDITORIAL BOARD
possible including the Ministry of Sports, Culture and
the Arts, Nairobi County Government, the Offi cial
Partners and Suppliers of this World Athletics Series

t gives me great pleasure to write this foreword event, Asics, Seiko, TDK and Mondo, and the Local
Organising Committee and Athletics Kenya and their
to the Offi cial Programme of the IAAF World U18 partners and suppliers.
IChampionships Nairobi 2017. ese World U18 I wish the young athletes competing this week,
Championships mark an historic moment for Kenyan many of whom will be travelling abroad for the fi rst
athletics as they are the fi rst global track and fi eld time in their lives, an enjoyable experience and,
championships that the country has ever staged. along with the coaches, offi cials, media and spec-
Kenya’s only previous experience as a host of an tators, a successful and memorable time at the IAAF
IAAF World Athletics Series event was in 2007 when World U18 Championships Nairobi 2017.
the port city of Mombasa was the venue for the IAAF
World Cross Country Championships. Lord Sebastian Coe
While Kenya is not the first African coun- IAAF President

ACTIVITIES AND OCCURENCES DURING WORLD U18 CHAMPIONSHIPS | 7