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It?s a meeting place for athletes past and present, young and old

ATHLETICS: The IAAF World Championship has been the meeting place for the present and past athletes in every other year to test their skills as well as to share past experience.

Be it an all-time great like Michael Johnson, the undisputed former American sprint merchant who has now retired, a veteran 47-year-old athlete like Merlene Ottey who is still competing or an athlete from a little known country who has got a wildcard entry, the IAAF World Championship is the meeting place - the biggest ever athletic extravaganza after the Olympic Games.

Ever since its inception in 1983, the World Championships in Athletics is not only a meeting place for the world?s athletes champions current and future but it also brings together former world class athletes in various capacities. Many, you see, have remained in the sport, eager to give back in some way.

On the other hand, one has to admire courage and determination of an athlete like Merlene Ottey, the former Jamaican Sprint queen now running for Slovenia. She finished fourth behind Sri Lanka?s Susanthika Jayasinghe in yesterday?s women?s 100m first round heats.

Some athletes have chosen to enter the coaching ranks such as famed marathon champion Alberto Salazar, who coached US 10,000m runner Kara Goucher to a surprise bronze medal two days ago.

Glenroy Gilbert, a member of Canada?s 1996 Olympic champion 4 x 100m relay team, has been instrumental in grooming a Canadian relay team to compete with the world?s best. Others have maintained contact with their sport through alternative means. Two former Olympic gold medallists - Sebastian Coe and Sergey Bubka were elected Vice Presidents of the IAAF at last week?s IAAF Congress elections for various positions in the world track and field governing body.

Such positions are prestigious and require an enormous amount of commitment. Coe was a household name in Great Britain when he made history by successfully defending his Olympic 1500m title in 1984.

After a career in party politics in which he became a Member of Parliament, Lord Coe played a significant role towards London?s successful bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games. He has been an IAAF council member for the last several years.

Bubka needs no introduction. Bubka and pole vault has been a world famous combination. With 35 World pole vault records to his credit and six consecutive IAAF World championship gold medals, the Ukranian was a legend in track and field - as an athlete.

The duo, along with many other members of the IAAF?s Council and its various Committees and Commissions who were former stars of our sport at national and international level, are often seen wandering through different sites at Nagai Stadium here, getting a feel for how the World Championships operate from a VIP administrators perspective.

Multiple World and Olympic long jump champion Heike Dreschler, 1500m runner Hassiba Boulmerka, who won Algeria?s first women?s Olympic gold medal back in 1992, Russia?s 2000 Olympic 400m Hurdles winner Irina Privalova and multiple global middle distance running gold medallist Gabriela Szabo of Romania were all elected to the IAAF Women?s Committee.

They too are here for the championships. The ex-world class athletes are playing leading roles in media too.

They add spice to the press tribune, which is packed with familiar faces, particularly in the television commentary section where the likes of Jonathan Edwards, the World Triple Jump record holder, 1980 Olympic 800m champion Steve Ovett, former World 1500m champion Steve Cram, 1976 Olympic 10,000m bronze medalist Brendan Foster, France?s heroine Marie Jose Perec, herself a three time Olympic champion, and former American Long Jump star Carl Lewis, can be seen providing informed colour commentary to television audiences around the world.

Olympic triple gold medallist Marion Jones too played a similar role at a previous World Championship.

They must remain close to the action to perform their new roles as media personalities, reviewing news stories on an ongoing basis not to mention analysing statistics. They thus bring expertise and experience to the promotion of the sport.

With professionalism being injected to track and field today, elite athletes often need expert help. Some former athletes are now working as agents for track and field clients.

Dutchman Jos Hermens, who held the World One Hour record and who represented Holland at the 1976 Olympic 10,000m leads a company representing scores of world class athletes from all parts of the globe. Among his associates is 1992 Olympic 800m champion Ellen Van Langen.

Ex-World Championship medallist John Regis was seen escorting one of his clients, 2007 World Championships 100m silver medallist Derrick Atkins of the Bahamas, through the Mixed Zone, where the media personalities gets quick interviews from athletes immediately after their events.

Renaldo Nehemiah who held the World 110m Hurdles record is here with clients such as 2003 World 100m hurdles champion Perdita Felicien of Canada.

Johnson, 200m and 400m World record holder has turned to management too, with current World and Olympic champion Jeremy Wariner as star client.

Meanwhile, the IAAF Ambassador?s programme is in full swing. These are stars of the highest rank who have now retired but who are prepared to give something back to the sport they love.

Champions all, they are athletes who include the aforementioned Edwards, Ovett, Perec, who along with Stephan Diagana, Mike Powell, Frank Fredericks are in Osaka to publicise Athletics to the world.

Be it a present star or that of an yesteryear, we see celebrated sportsmen and women all over in and around Nagai Stadium. Thankfully we have world class athletes who have found their niche. Their presence and roles played by them in various capacities would make the IAAF World Championship an even more interesting affair, a family affair because all of them belong to the IAAF family - all over the world.

OSAKA, Monday

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