Athletics
First of all I am happy to announce that the 1st World Deaf Athletics Championships finally is on its way and will be held at the last week of September 2008 as previously announced.
Many of you have learned that the World Deaf Athletics Championships would not take place in Caracas, Venezuela, as we had originally planned. Due to several obstacles, the ICSD Management Team had no other viable options but to withdraw the World Deaf Athletics Championships from Venezuela.
Fortunately, we now have found another host for the World Deaf Athletics Championships. The Turkish Deaf Sports Association kindly has accepted to host the World Deaf Athletics Championships in the ancient (more than 3500 years old) city of IZMIR, on the same days 24 to 28 September 2008. I made a site inspection on December 6 to 9 and I am pleased to tell you that the championships will be held at ATATÜRK Stadium, where the UNIVERSIAD 2005 was held. This stadium is an IAAF 1st Class approved stadium with all necessary installations and equipments. The Organising Committee is planning to send out the first Bulletin before the end of 2008.
The deadline for preliminary entries
has been postponed to 30 January 2008. No less than 11 countries already have sent their preliminary entries, and I hope that many more will follow before the end of January 2008 now where it is clear that the World Deaf Athletics Championships will be held as planned.
A large number of especially Junior World Records have been made during the year. I am, however, disappointed to see that so many organisers, athletes and countries have great problems in obtaining the necessary signatures of judges and referees. In addition, many did not observe that for World Records it is mandatory to use the ICSD Application form and not the regional form (mainly the Europeans used the EDSO form). I am sure that judges and referees are not delighted to have to fill in first the regional form and later the ICSD form. I hope that everyone now is aware that only applications on the ICSD form will be recognised as a World Record. I also want to draw the attention to the decision taken at the Salt Lake City Congress in February 2007 that from now on no regional record may be better than a World Record.
A list of not only the many approved World Records during 2007 but also a few ones, pending ratifications, can be found here.
Barbara C. Søndergaard
ICSD Technical Director - Athletics