(ATR) Two top IAAF administrators are serving at their last Congress.
General secretary Pierre Weiss and honorary treasurer Jean Poczobut will retire this year after long tenures at the forefront of the organization.
President Lamine Diack confirmed during the gathering in Daegu that Essar Gabriel will replace Weiss. Gabriel is the former Director General of the Organizing Committee for the Paris World Championships and was instrumental in organizing the first Youth Olympic Games in Singapore.
"With a wealth of experience working in the administration of international sporting bodies, I am convinced that he will be capable of bringing us an outside perspective that will enable us to uncompromisingly assess in those areas that we need to improve as we move forwards," Diack said.
He also praised his outgoing administrators. Weiss is the only one of 27 IAAF Council members who is appointed. He was assistant to the general secretary from 1985-87, general director from 1991-2006 and general secretary since 2006.
Diack called Weiss a "man of the highest caliber who, over many years of service, has made an extraordinary contribution to our organization, sacrificing his time, his leisure, home life and health to do so."
Diack added that Weiss has "decided to claim his right to retirement after devoting the majority of his life to athletics. In carrying out his work, he showed such exemplary dedication, commitment, energy and all-around capability that it is impossible to stand in his shoes."
Poczobut has been an IAAF Council Member since 1995 and an honorary treasurer since 2003.
"Jean Poczobut combines the attributes of talent, devotion, commitment and sociability that together make him the all-round gentleman that he is," Diack said. "His departure represents a great loss for our sport and I would like to express the hope that he continues to stand alongside us with his advice."
Mistake Causes Hurdler to Miss Meet
Olympic medalist Ato Boldon of Trinidad and Tobago tweeted that he is "mad as hell" the night before leaving for Daegu, where he will be a television commentator. "Why? Because things haven't changed," he said. "In 2000 my country almost missed the deadline to enter me in the Sydney Olympics -- 11 years later, REIGNING world junior champion Jehue Gordon, same thing. They 'forgot,' andmissed the deadline. When will it end? Heads will roll this time. I promise." Gordon is a 400-meter hurdler. Boldon won the silver medal in the 100 meters in Sydney to go along with his bronze from 1996.
Gosper Backs Coe
Australian IOC member Kevan Gosper of Australia has publicly declared his support for Sebastian Coe in the IAAF vice presidential race.
Coe, the London 2012 Olympics chief, is up for re-election as one of four vice presidents. The candidate receiving the most votes will be considered most likely to succeed Diack of Senegal, who is running unopposed for another term as president.
Gosper told AAP he believes it's importantfor athletics that Coe become the most senior vice president. Sergei Bubka of Ukraine is considered the other top contender.
Gosper said Coe has "impeccable credentials" to eventually become IAAF president and is "the full package."
"He is part of the DNA of today's athletics," Gosper told AAP. "As an athlete he was an inspirational role model for young people. He is committed to athletics and the importance of the Olympic movement.
"He is in charge of one of the most significant Olympic Games, he has a good grasp of commerciality and I see him as one of those people who are really going to move events forward."
Coe has been a vice president since 2007 and will be looking for a job after the London Games.
Like Coe, Gosper is a former Olympic runner. Gosper won a silver medal in the 4x400-meter relay in 1956. Coe was the gold medalist in the 1,500 and silver medalist in the 800 in both 1980 and 1984. Bubka is an Olympic champion pole vaulter as well as an IOC member.
Economic Impact
As the country's traditional textile capital, Daegu hopes to weave plenty of new dollars into its economy. According to the Daegu Gyeongbuk Development Institute, the championships are expected to bring in about 5.5 trillion won, or $5.2 billion, in production and the added value of about $2.2 billion.
The event will also create about 63,000 jobs. According to the Arirang News, about $2.1 billion dollars was spent renovating Daegu Stadium, "a relatively modest investment" compared to other major events because the stadium was originally built for the 2002 Korea-Japan FIFA World Cup.
At least 30,000 international visitors are expected to spend around $21 million. The worldwide television exposure could result in more than $5 billion in advertising revenue for the city.
And last, but not least, Daegu produced the 5,000 uniforms to be worn by staff and volunteers during next week's worlds.
Written in Daegu by Karen Rosen.