World Athletics (organization) | Championships & Track and Field | Britannica (original) (raw)

Formerly (1912–2001):

International Amateur Athletic Federation

Formerly (2001−19):

International Association of Athletics Federations

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World Athletics, organization of track-and-field federations representing more than 200 countries and territories.

The major aims of World Athletics are to establish friendly cooperation among members; eliminate hindrance to participation in international meets on racial, religious, or political grounds; and compile rules and regulations governing competition. The organization is the ratifying body for all official world records in track-and-field events. It is recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and is financed by members’ fees, publication sales, and the promotion of championships.

World Athletics was founded as the International Amateur Athletic Association at Stockholm in 1912. In 1936 it took over regulation of women’s international track-and-field competition from the Fédération Sportive Féminine International, which had been founded in 1921. Because of a shift toward professionalism in international athletic competitions, the organization changed its name to International Association of Athletics Federations in 2001. It changed its name again, to World Athletics, in 2019. Its headquarters, originally in Stockholm (1912–46) and London (1946–93), are now in Monaco.

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The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by J.E. Luebering.