ByYOMI OMOGBEJA
Kenya will host the last edition of the IAAF World U18 Championships after the IAAF Council decided to discontinue the youth championships after the 2017 edition in Nairobi.

Speaking about the decision after the IAAF Council meeting in Rio de Janeiro on 20 August 2016, IAAF PresidentSebastian Coe said: “We decided it’s not the best pathway for those athletes at that stage of their career.”

The IAAF stated the governing body will work with Area Associations to find a more appropriate competition structure for assisting the career development of U18 age group athletes.

The IAAF also made a number of important changes as regards the IAAF World Athletics Series.

These include: the World Cross Country Championship – Kampala 2017 in Uganda – where a mixed relay has been added; and the IAAF World Relays – Bahamas 2017 – where the Distance Medley Relays has been replaced by the mixed 4x400m relays.

A new mixed 4x400m relay format was also added as a replacement for the men and women’s 4x400m relays at the IAAF Continental Cup in Ostrava, Czech Republic; and a new road race – among the mile or 5km – was added to the 2018 World Half Marathon Championships scheduled for the 24 March in Valencia, Spain.

Meanwhile Nassau, the Bahamas was confirmed as host of the IAAF World Relays in 2017 and 2019.

FULL IAAF COUNCIL DECISIONS CONCERNING THE IAAF COMPETITIONS:

IAAF World Cross Country Championships Kampala 2017
Timetable approved with the addition of a Mixed Relay as follows –

14:30 Mixed Relay (composed of 2 men and 2 women per team running one loop of the course in any order)
15.00 Junior Women
15.40 Junior Men
16:25 Senior Women
17.25 Senior Men
IAAF World Relays Bahamas 2017
Council decided to replace the Distance Medley Relays with a Mixed 4x400m Relay

IAAF World Half Marathon Championships Valencia 2018
– Date approved – 24 March 2018
– Council decided to add an additional event such as a street Mile or 5km race to the programme

IAAF World Race Walking Team Championships 2018
Council decided to remove the championships from Cheboksary (Russia) and will reopen the bidding process in
September 2016 to decide on a new host in December 2016.

IAAF Continental Cup Ostrava 2018
Council decided to:
– Delete the 5000m races for both men and women
– Replace the men’s and women’s 4x400m Relay with a Mixed 4x400m Relay composed of two men and two women per team
running in any order

IAAF World Relays 2019
Council decided to continue the relays in The Bahamas

IAAF World Challenge
2017 Calendar approved with addition of Turku (Finland), as follows:

11 March: Australia, AUS
16 May: Beijing, CHN
20 May: Kingston, JAM
21 May: Kawasaki, JPN
03 June: Sao Bernardo, BRA
03 June : Dakar, SEN (TBC)
11 June: Hengelo, NED
13 June: Turku, FIN
28 June: Ostrava, CZE
14 July: Madrid, ESP
27 August: Berlin, GER
29 August: Zagreb, CRO
03 September: Rieti, ITA
IAAF Cross Country Permit Series
2017 Calendar approved as follows:

13 November: Burgos, ESP
27 November: Alcobendas, ESP
06 January: San Girogios/ Legnano, ITA
14 January: Antrim, GBR
15 January: Sevilla, ESP
22 January: San Vittore Olona, ITA
05 February: Albufeira, POR
17 February: Nairobi, KEN
IAAF Race Walking Challenge
2017 Calendar approved with addition of Ciudad Juarez (Mexico), as follows:

12 March: Ciudad Juarez, MEX
19 March: Monterrey, MEX
01 April: Rio Maior, POR
15 April: Taicang, CHN
03 June: La Coruna, ESP