IAAF World Championships Moscow 2013

[world atlas]

Moscow 2013 to broadcast in over 200 territories.

10.07.2013

The IAAF announces the record TV-coverage for the upcoming World Championships.

Broadcasting agreements are in place covering more territories than ever before in the history of the IAAF World Championships that will ensure coverage of Moscow 2013 in over 200 territories worldwide.

The 14th edition of the championships will be the largest global sporting event of the year, with it anticipated that the nine days of action will reach a cumulative audience of more than five billion TV viewers.

This year marks 30 years since the first IAAF World Championships were held in Helsinki, just three years after Moscow hosted the 1980 Olympic Games. Since those first championships the IAAF’s premier competition has rapidly grown making it the biggest single-sport event in the world in 2013, with 2000 athletes representing national teams from more than 200 IAAF Member Federations.

“That the IAAF World Championships has extended its global reach offering fans worldwide the opportunity to watch Moscow 2013 is marvellous news for Athletics and the profile of its greatest stars,” commented IAAF President Lamine Diack. “We eagerly await nine days of scintillating action during which the cream of Russian athletics, names like Yelena Isinbayeva, Anna Chicherova and Ivan Ukhov will compete in front of their home fans alongside world stars of the calibre of Usain Bolt, Allyson Felix and Tyson Gay. It’s any true sports fan’s dream.”

Mos2013

[Texas]

Tyson Gay is out of Moscow.

[gotosy]

Tyson Gay is out of Moscow.

Latest from AP on Tyson Gay's positve drug test and withdrawal from world champs

Tyson Gay tests positive for banned substance

American 100-meter record holder Tyson Gay, who had promoted himself as a clean athlete, tested positive for a banned substance and said he will pull out of the world championships next month in Moscow.

Gay wouldn't reveal the substance in a phone conversation from Amsterdam on Sunday, but he said he was notified by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency late last week that a sample came back positive from a May 16 out-of-competition test. He said he will have his "B'' sample tested soon, possibly as early as this week.

"I don't have a sabotage story. I don't have any lies. I don't have anything to say to make this seem like it was a mistake or it was on USADA's hands, someone playing games," said Gay, who fought back sobs as he spoke. "I don't have any of those stories. I basically put my trust in someone and I was let down."

Asked who that person was, Gay replied: "I can't really say it. Sometimes a human being naturally, generally trusts somebody. That's what people do."

USATF CEO Max Siegel said in a statement: "It is not the news anyone wanted to hear, at any time, about any athlete."

Siegel added: "We do not know the facts of this case and look to USADA to adjudicate it and handle it appropriately."

A triple world champion in 2007, Gay was healthy again this season after being constantly plagued by hamstring and groin ailments, along with a surgically repaired hip. He won the 100 and 200 at nationals last month, setting up an anticipated showdown with Usain Bolt at worlds.

But that's been scrubbed. Gay, who has the fastest 100 time in the world this season, also said he will pull out of a meet in Monaco and fly back to the headquarters of USADA in Colorado Springs, Colo., to be on hand when his "B'' sample is tested.

The anti-doping organization said in a statement it "appreciates his approach to handling this situation and his choice to voluntarily remove himself from competition while the full facts surrounding his test are evaluated."

"The 'B' sample will be processed shortly," the statement went on, "and as in all cases all athletes are innocent unless or until proven otherwise through the established legal process, and any attempt to sensationalize or speculate is a disservice to due process, fair play, and to those who love clean sport."

Gay is the second high-profile track athlete to makes headlines for doping in the last few weeks. Jamaica's Veronica Campbell-Brown, the reigning 200-meter world champion and three-time Olympic gold medalist, was suspended by her national federation last month pending an investigation into a positive drug test. Jamaican officials said Campbell-Brown, the 2004 and 2008 Olympic champion in the 200, tested positive for a banned diuretic at a meet on the island in May.

...

AP

http://m.apnews.com/ap/db_268750/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=loCXrBqE

[Rob2012]

Powell as well.

WTF is going on?!

[Ikarus360]

^^Sherone Simpson and Nesta Carter too as well.

This, along with what happened last year with Armstrong, is making me lose the last bit of faith I had in professional sports. I wouldn't be surprised if they used drugs at the Olympics as well.

What a coincidence all of the athletes are from Jamaica, which makes you think WTF is going on with their sport institutions.

_{(Except for Tyson Gay, sorry 'bout that)}

[Rob2012]

Less than 4 wks before start of World Champs in Moscow just 45,000 seats have been sold for entire 9 days.

https://twitter.com/SiHart

I make that an average of 3k tickets per session, in Moscow's 78k stadium.

[Fox334]

Powell as well.

WTF is going on?!

Someone made a mistake in the dosage, I guess.

[Texas]

^^Sherone Simpson and Nesta Carter too as well.

This, along with what happened last year with Armstrong, is making me lose the last bit of faith I had in professional sports. I wouldn't be surprised if they used drugs at the Olympics as well.

What a coincidence all of the athletes are from Jamaica, which makes you think WTF is going on with their sport institutions.

_{(Except for Tyson Gay, sorry 'bout that)}

Tennis, Gymnastics, many Winter Sports (outside of Hockey), Football/Soccer and Volleyball probably have drug testing, but very few in any of those sports have ever been caught doping.

[baron-pierreIV]

Time to disband T&F from the Olympix.

[gotosy]

Injury forces Yohan Blake out of World Championships

Kingston: Reigning 100 metre world champ Yohan Blake has withdrawn from next month`s World Athletics Championships in Moscow with a hamstring injury.

The 23-year-old Jamaican has been bothered by a sore hamstring since April when he competed in the Utech Classic in Jamaica.

"The injury sustained in April of this year has prevented him from attaining the necessary fitness levels that we have grown accustomed to seeing in his performances," Blake`s agent Cubie Seegobin said Tuesday.

The injury also forced him to miss last month`s Jamaican trials.

Blake`s withdrawal not only robs the event of its defending sprint champ but it adds to the list of marquee performers who have been ruled out of the event, including some for failing doping tests.

On Sunday, American sprinter Tyson Gay, former 100m world record holder Asafa Powell and Olympic gold medallist Sherone Simpson, of Jamaica, said they had tested positive for banned substances.

Blake has a personal best of the 9.69 seconds in the 100m making him the co-second fastest man ever behind Jamaican teammate Usain Bolt. Gay has also run a 9.69.

Blake finished second in the 2011 Daegu World Championships but was awarded the gold after organizers disqualified Bolt.

Defending champ Bolt was disqualified after he jumped out of the blocks too early.

Blake won two silvers in his first Olympics at the 2012 London Games in the 100m and 200m. He won gold in the 4x100m relay.

Blake set a personal best of 9.69 seconds in the 100m at the Athletissima Diamond League event in August in Lausanne, Switzerland.

That came 11 months after he ran a personal best of 19.26 in the 200m at a meet in Brussels, Belgium.

AFP

http://zeenews.india.com/sports/others/injury-forces-yohan-blake-out-of-world-championships_765299.html

[world atlas]

Moscow 2013 sold out for the last weekend

22.07.2013

The IAAF is delighted to announce that ticket sales for the upcoming IAAF World Championships, Moscow, Russia, 10 to 18 August 2013, are accelerating fast with a sold out final weekend and an average of 80.59% sold for the nine days of competition at the Luzhniki Olympic Stadium.

IAAF General Secretary Essar Gabriel said today: “Looking at the latest ticket sales summary from our partners in the Moscow LOC confirms that Muscovites prefer to buy their tickets closer to the event. Since the beginning of July, thanks to enhanced promotional campaigns on television, radio, in the press, with billboards throughout the city and most recently, on the Moscow Metro (used by 9 million Russians per day), we have seen a real surge in ticket sales. With the competition not starting until the 10 August, the IAAF is very optimistic that the evening sessions can now be sold out.”

The 14th edition of the IAAF World Championships will be the largest global sporting event of 2013. Nine days of competition which will witness 2000 athletes from more than 200 nations compete in front of a cumulative audience of more than five billion TV viewers.

As already announced, broadcasting agreements are in place covering more territories than ever before in the history of the IAAF World Championships that will ensure coverage of Moscow 2013 in more than 200 territories worldwide.

Mos2013

[gotosy]

Isinbayeva to retire after worlds

AFP - Russian pole vault queen and double Olympic champion Yelena Isinbayeva announced Tuesday she would be retiring after her home world athletics championships, which take place in Moscow in August.

"My career will come to its end at the world championships," Isinbayeva told reporters after winning the national title at Moscow's Luzhniki arena.

"For me it will be a really nostalgic moment. I want to enjoy a joyful career finish and will show my best at the world championships."

"At the worlds I will fight with the height and myself," she added. "It was here in Luzhniki that I won my first title and here my career will come to an end.

"I expect a huge support from my fans at the event as I really need it to show everything I'm able to show. I'm ready to battle for the win"

Isinbayeva, who won gold at both the 2004 and 2008 Olympics, has set 28 world records in women's pole vault including the current world's best mark of 5.06 metres.

AFP

http://www.france24.com/en/20130723-isinbayeva-retire-after-worlds

[Rob2012]

Good to hear the sales have accelerated. Seems a lot, lot healthier now.

[world atlas]

Team USA

29.07.2013

Nine reigning World champions headline the Team USA for Moscow 2013

Here is the full team composition with athletes' season's best in brackets.

Sprints:

Men's 100 m: Justin Gatlin (9.89), Charles Silmon (9.98), Mike Rodgers (9.96)

4x100 m relay pool: Gatlin, Silmon, Rodgers, Rakiem Salaam (10.01), Dentarius Locke (9.96), Jeff Demps (10.11)

Men's 200 m: Isiah Young (19.86), Curtis Mitchell (19.99), Wallace Spearmon (20.10)

Men's 400 m: LaShawn Merritt (44.09), Tony McQuay (44.72), Arman Hall (44.82)

4x400 m relay pool: Merritt, McQuay, Hall, Josh Mance (45.08), James Harris (45.23), David Verburg (44.75)

Women's 100 m: defending champion Carmelita Jeter (10.93), English Gardner (10.85), Octavious Freeman (10.87), Alexandria Anderson (10.91)

4x100 m relay pool: Gardner, Freeman, Anderson, Jeneba Tarmoh (10.93), Barbara Pierre (10.85), Aurieyall Scott (10.96)

Women's 200 m: Diamond League 2012 winner Charonda Williams (22.71), Kimberlyn Duncan (22.35), Allyson Felix (22.36), Jeneba Tarmoh (22.72)

Women's 400 m: Natasha Hastings (44.94), Francena McCorory (44.96), Ashley Spencer (50.28)

4x400 m relay pool: Hastings, McCorory, Spencer, Joanna Atkins (50.77), Jessica Beard (51.06), Rebecca Alexander (51.78)

Hurdles:

100 m hurdles: Diamond League 2012 winner Dawn Harper-Nelson (12.53), Brianna Rollins (12.26), Queen Harrisson (12.43), Nia Ali (12.48)

110 m hurdles: defending champion Jason Richardson (13.20), Ryan Wilson (13.08), David Oliver (13.03), Aries Merritt (13.09)

Men's 400 m hurdles: Michael Tinsley (47.96), Kerron Clement (48.06), Bershawn Jackson (48.09)

Women's 400 m hurdles: defending champion Lashina Demus, Dalilah Muhammad (53.83), Georganne Moline (53.72), Christine Spence (54.56)

Middle distance and steeplechase:

Women's 800 m: Alysia Montano (1:57.75), Brenda Martinez (1:58.18), Ajee Wilson (1:59.55)

Men's 800m: Duane Solomon (1:43.27). Nick Symmonds (1:43.67), Brendon Johnson (1:43.84)

Women's 1500 m: defending champion Jenny Simpson (4:00.84), Treniere Moser (4:02.85), Mary Cain (4:04.62), Cory McGee (4:06.67)

Men's 1500 m: Matthew Centrowitz (3:33.58), Leonel Manzano (3:33.14), Lopez Lomong (3:34.55)

Women's 3000 m steeple: Nicole Bush (9:39.36), Ashley Higginson (9:45.83), Shalaya Kipp (9:37.23)

Men's 3000 m steeple: Evan Jager (8:08.60), Daniel Huling (8:22.38), De'Sean Turner (8:25.56)

Long distance/Marathon:

Men's 5000 m: Bernard Lagat (13:07.76), Galen Rupp (13:05.17), Ryan Hill (13:14.22)

Women's 5000 m: Molly Huddle (15:05.56), Shannon Rowbury (15:18.06), Kim Conley (15:09.57)

Men's 10 000 m: Galen Rupp (28:47.32), Dathan Ritzenhein (28:49.66), Chris Derrick (28:52.25)

Women's 10 000 m: Shalane Flanagan (31:04.85), Jordan Hasay (31:46.42), Amy Hastings (32:31.28)

Men's Marathon: Daniel Tapia (2:15:28 in 2012), Jeffrey Egglestone (2:14:57), Carlos Trujillo (2:14:21 in 2012)

Women's Marathon: Dot McMahon (2:32:11 in 2012), Jeannette Faber (2:32:37 in 2012), Deena Kastor (2:30:40 in 2012)

Jumps:

Men's Long Jump: defending champion Dwight Phillips (7.89 m), George Kitchens (8.17 m), Marquise Dendy (8.10 m)

Women's Long Jump: defending champion Brittney Reese (7.25 m), Janay DeLoach Soukup (6.99 m), Tori Polk (6.70 m), Funmi Jimoh (6.92 m)

Men's High Jump: defending champion Jesse Williams (2.31 m), Erik Kynard (2.37 m), Dusty Jonas (2.31 m), Keith Mofatt (2.28 m)

Women's High Jump: Diamond League 2012 winner Chaunte Lowe (-), Brigetta Barrett (2.04 m), Inika McPherson (1.92 m)

Men's Triple Jump: defending champion Christian Taylor (17.66 m), Omar Craddok (16.92 m), Will Claye (17.47 m)

Men's Pole Vault: Brad Walker (5.83 m), Jeremy Scott (5.65 m), Jake Whitt (5.70 m)

Women's Pole Vault: Jenn Suhr (4.80 m), Kylie Hutson (4.67 m), Becky Holiday (4.55 m)

Throws:

Men's Shot Put: Diamond League 2012 champion Reese Hoffa (21.71 m), Ryan Whiting (22.28), Zack Lloyd (21.09 m), Cory Martin (20.67 m)

Women's Shot Put: Michelle Carter (20.24 m), Tia Brooks (18.96 m), Alyssa Haslen (18.10 m)

Men's Javelin Throw: Riley Dolezal (83.50 m), Sam Humphreys (83.14 m)

Women's Javelin Throw: Brittany Borman (60.91 m)

Men's Discus Throw: Lance Brooks (62.29 m)

Women's Discus Throw: Gia Lewis-Smallwood (65.49 m), Whitney Ashley (61.64 m), Elizabeth Podominick (62.32 m)

Men's Hammer Throw: A.G. Kruger (77.10 m)

Women's Hammer Throw: Amanda Bingson (75.73 m), Jeneva McCall (74.00), Amber Campbell (73.03 m)

Combined events:

Decathlon: defending champion Trey Hardee, Ashton Eaton (8291), Gunnar Nixon (8198), Jeremy Taiwo (8239)

Heptathlon: Sharon Day (6550), Bettie Wade (6018), Erica Bougard (5990)

Race Walk:

Men's 20 km: Tim Seaman (1:28:03)

Women's 20 km: Maria Michta (1:35:38), Erin Gray (1:39:19.80), Miranda Melville (1:37:58)

Men's 50 km: John Nunn (1:32:02 20 km)

Mos2013

[gotosy]

IAAF promises aggressive drug testing

(Reuters) - The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) is determined to crack down on drug-taking in the sport after two leading sprinters tested positive this month, the ruling body's vice-president Sebastian Coe said on Tuesday.

Coe was speaking in Moscow, the host of next month's world athletics championships, after American Tyson Gay, a former world 100 metres champion, and Jamaica's Asafa Powell, a former 100 metres world record holder, provided positive samples.

The two athletes have withdrawn from the Moscow championships.

"The right thing (to do) is being aggressive about our testing, is forever making sure our technology runs ahead of the competitors and our overall task is to make sure the sport is clean for clean athletes," Coe told Reuters.

"I think it would be unrealistic of me to say that we are ever going to reach a period where we will be entirely free from the scourge of drugs in sports," the former Olympic 1,500 metres champion added.

"But...we are taking this more seriously than we have ever taken it before."

The world championships will be the first major outdoor athletics event hosted by Moscow since the 1980 Olympics and it will be held at the same Luzhniki stadium which staged the opening ceremony of the summer Games more than three decades ago.

Reuters

[yoshi]

Any news on what the opening ceremony will be like? I can't really see the Russians going all-out 3 times in 9 months, so I'm not expecting much.

[intoronto]

Athletics Canada names 46 to 2013 IAAF World Championship Team

Ottawa - Athletics Canada is pleased to officially name today the 46 athletes who will represent Canada at the 2013 International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Championship in Athletics August 10 to 18 in Moscow, Russia. The event takes place at Luzhniki Stadium, site of the 1980 Olympic Games.

“The Moscow World Championship is our first major test on the path towards success at Rio 2016”, explains Team Leader and High Performance Director Scott MacDonald. “Our objective is to improve on the medal count and top 8 finishes we had at the 2012 Olympic Games. London saw a new generation of athletes stepping forward. In Moscow we are looking for those young athletes to take it to the next level by advancing through to finals, and to veterans to help lead the way to the podium.”

Team Canada is led by 24 Olympians including 2012 Olympic Games bronze medalist Derek Drouin of Counna, Ont., and 2012 Olympic Games finalists Dylan Armstrong of Kamloops, B.C., Damian Warner of London, Ont., Jessica Zelinka of London, Ont., Michael Mason of Nanoose Bay, B.C., and the men’s 4x100-metres relay team.

Armstrong won shot put silver at the last edition of the World Championships in 2011. In total 14 athletes from the 2011 World Championship team are back.

2013 IAAF World Championship Team

*Denotes Olympian

Name

Event

*Mohammed Ahmed

10,000m

*Dylan Armstrong

Shot Put

Shawnacy Barber

Pole Vault

Karine Belleau-Beliveau

800m

Khamica Bingham

4x100m

*Melissa Bishop

800m

*Nathan Brannen

1500m

*Aaron Brown

100m / 4x100m

Alicia Brown

400m / 4x400m

Shai-anne Davis

4x100m

*Derek Drouin

High Jump

Krista Duchene

Marathon

Evan Dunfee

50km Racewalk

Sam Effah

100m

*Crystal Emmanuel

200m / 4x100m

*Sultana Frizell

Hammer Throw

*Alex Genest

3000m Steeple Chase

*Inaki Gomez

20km Racewalk

*Tremaine Harris

200m

Matthew Hughes

3000m Steeple Chase

Kimberly Hyacinthe

200m / 4x100m

*Cameron Levins

5,000m / 10,000m

*Oluwasegun Makinde

4x100m

Lanni Marchant

Marathon

*Jenna Martin

4x400m

*Michael Mason

High Jump

Noelle Montcalm

400m Hurdles / 4x400m

Cheria Morgan

4x100m

Tim Nedow

Shot Put

Christabel Nettey

Long Jump

*Sheila Reid

1500m

Dontae Richards Kwok

4x100m

Anthony Romaniw

800m

*Nicole Sifuentes

1500m

*Gavin Smellie

100m / 4x100m

*Brianne Theisen-Eaton

Heptathlon

Benjamin Thorne

20km Racewalk

Kate Van Buskirk

1500m

*Damian Warner

Decathlon

*Justyn Warner

4x100m

Rob Watson

Marathon

*Sarah Wells

4x400m

*Angela Whyte

100m Hurdles

Chris Winter

3000m Steeple Chase

Krista Woodward

Javelin

*Jessica Zelinka

100m Hurdles

[stark]

What will be Luzhniki's capacity during the Championships?

[world atlas]

Any news on what the opening ceremony will be like? I can't really see the Russians going all-out 3 times in 9 months, so I'm not expecting much.

After a long search I found this in a Russian site ( translated by Google )

Opening Ceremony of the IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Moscow will be held in the concept of "Ahead of Time"

06/10/13 14:58

The relationship between the achievements of the world-renowned Russian scientists, culture, the arts, which are far ahead of their time, historical, and sports will be the main theme of the opening ceremony of the World Cup in Athletics, to be held in Moscow from 10 to 18 August this year.

The purpose of the organizers of the championship - to remind the audience of the tournament on numerous significant events, achievements, brilliant personalities in the history of Russia, which symbolize to the world progress, development and leadership in various fields of life. Tame the time to manage it, and even get ahead of him, stepping into the gap - was a constant desire of many generations of inhabitants of planet Earth. In this continuous pursuit of funneling time and were born the most important achievements of civilization - science, literature, art, and sports.

In keeping with the concept of the championship, "Ahead of Time" Russian history will be represented in the images that are associated with athletics. Spectators who came to the Luzhniki August 10, 2013, will be able to see a large-scale theatrical performance with the participation of artists of crowd scenes, a symphony orchestra, aerial acrobats, stunt, ballet dancers and performers of classical opera. During the show will use modern lighting effects and unique technical solutions.

At the Grand Sports Arena Luzhniki Stadium will be mounted the podium and stage screens to broadcast shows and competitions. According to the script crowd scenes World Cup opening ceremony will be held on the lawn football pitch, staged rooms - on the podium. At the same time around the perimeter of the arena will apply lighting effects and large-mirror projection. opening ceremony is a continuation of the evening session of the first day of competition. It will start at 21.00, after the award winners in the women's 10,000 m for men.

First, viewers will see on the movie screens with fragments of the highlights of all 13 previous World Championships in Athletics from 1983 to the 21.10 kick off the main action - the show "Ahead the time. " From 21.30 to 22.00 will be a parade of the participating countries of the world championship. Recall that will arrive in Moscow national teams of more than two hundred countries around the world. within the formal part of the event scheduled speech of the President of the Organizing Committee of the championship, the President of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), the President of the Russian Federation. 22.30 In an impressive ceremony ends pyrotechnic show. expected that the audience of the official opening of the World Cup in the Luzhniki Stadium will be up to 40 thousand people. The solemn ceremony will see live more than 1 billion viewers worldwide

http://www.spb-la.ru/v-sankt-peterburge/tseremoniya-otkritiya-chempionata-mira-iaaf-po-legkoy-atletike-v-moskve-proydet-v-kontseptsii-operezhaya-vremya

[world atlas]

What will be Luzhniki's capacity during the Championships?

The Luzhniki Stadium is the largest sports stadium in Russia and will have a seating capacity of 75,000 during the 2013 IAAF World Championship.

http://www.trackandfieldtours.com/moscow2013_venue_tix.html

[yoshi]

Ok, so it looks like they will be going all-out 3 times in 9 months, guess you should never put anything past Putin. God knows what they'll come up with for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, they'll be running China close if they keep this up.

[world atlas]

Press-conference: 10 days to go

31.07.2013

Sebastian Coe took part in Moscow 2013 LOC's press-conference in Luzhniki with just 10 days to go until the 14th IAAF World Championships.

The press-conference speakers were: the ARAF President and the IAAF Honorary Treasurer Valentin Balakhnichev, the IAAF Vice-President and twice Olympic champion Sebsatian Coe; the acting Head of the Moscow Comittee of Sports Aleksey Vorobyev, the Director of the Direction for Sports and Entertainment Events of Moscow Aleksandr Polinsky and twice Olympic champion, the Head of the Moscow Athletics Federation Svetlana Masterkova.

The Moscow 2013 medals were presented to the media. Lord Sebastian Coe admitted that he felt emotional holding the medals in his hands. "I have never competed at the World Championships, so I have a special attitude towards these medals. And of course I have special emotions about "Luzhniki". 33 years ago the foundation of my career was laid at this stadium (Coe won the 800 m silver and the 1500 m gold at the Moscow Olympics in 1980). I consider the Big Sports Arena my spiritual home. Now we realise that our decision to grant Russia the right to host the World Championships was right. We have nine fantastic days of athletics ahead of us. The best athletes from all around the world will be in Moscow. I'm truly grateful to everyone who takes part in the organisation process".

Valentin Balakhnichev told the media that he has conflicting feelings. On one hand, he is proud for the work that has already been done. On the other hand, he is concerned about things that are still to be sorted out to make the competition successful. For Balakhnichev the most important event of the day was the submission of Team Russia's final entry. The ARAF President announced that Russia was aiming at six gold medals and 15 in total.

Aleksandr Polinsky pointed out at the uniqueness of the "Luzhniki" Sports Complex. All arenas needed for such a major event as the IAAF World Championships are located within the Complex. "Luzhniki" has underdone a serious renovation and is 100% ready to host the event. Answering the question about the probability of adverse weather conditions he referred to forecasts of the Russian Weather Bureau that predicted favourable weaher on competition days.

Aleksey Vorobyev said that five continents will broadcast the event and that the predicted TV-audience is estimated to exceed five billion people. The host broadcaster for Russia is VGTRK.

After the press-conference the IAAF Official Partner TOYOTA symbolically handed the official Moscow 2013 vehicles to the LOC.

Media representatives were able to take part in a "Luzhniki" guided tour.

Mos2013

[yoshi]

The next but one IOC president makes his first strike.

[BTHarner]

Actuhttp://en.ria.ru/sports/20130723/182381779/Ticket-Sales-Booming-for-World-Athletics-Championships-in-Moscow.html

Actually, this report says the spectator capacity will be only 35,000.

[paul]

the logo is the Moscow 2012 bid logo? -just noticed.

-those finishes are confusing....it's like satin, shinny, and super shinny.
-ribbons are cheesy looking, the thread on the blue one is about to come out.....