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| Edmonton,
host of the 2001 IAAF World Championships in Athletics
In the summer
of 2001, from August 3-12, the 8th International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF)
World Championships
in Athletics are coming to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. As
the third largest global sporting event, after the Olympic Games and the World Cup (Soccer), the biannual IAAF Championships
will bring the very best athletes from around the world. The 2001 games
will be broadcast to an estimated world television audience of
four billion. | ||||
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As the host city Edmonton is currently preparing for the participation of more than 3,000 athletes, coaches and officials. In addition over 2,500 members of the media are expected. All these people will travel from 210 countries around the world for this, the definitive track and field event. The world's top athletes including many famous names will be here, and some challenging showdowns are expected. The Edmonton event is the first time the Championships are being held in North America, and they are taking place in a city with a population of under one million for the first time also. Many of Edmonton's facilities have been upgraded and rebuilt to meet IAAF standards. These include a $6.2 million JumboTron video scoreboard for Commonwealth Stadium, along with new 'state of the art' track surfaces here and at Rollie Miles Park and Clarke Stadiums. At the University of Alberta a new fitness facility has been constructed. As another first in international sport, an actual sporting event - the Men's Marathon - will conclude in the Commonwealth Stadium during the opening ceremonies. | |||
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