HistoryData
sports2001

2001 World Championships in Athletics — 2001 edition of the World Championships in Athletics

January 1, 2001

The 8th World Championships in Athletics marked the first time the event was held in North America, staged in Edmonton, Canada in August 2001.

Quick Facts

Year
2001
Category
sports

Key Facts

Edition
8th World Championships in Athletics
Dates
3–12 August 2001
Venue
Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton, Alberta
First in North America
Yes — first North American host
Competing bid cities
Paris, France and San Francisco Bay Area, USA
Ceremony music
Jan Randall and Cassius Khan (Canadian composers)

Location

Map of Edmonton, CanadaMap of Edmonton, CanadaEdmonton, Canada

Cause → Event → Consequence

Cause

The International Association of Athletics Federations selected Edmonton, Canada as host city after the city defeated competing bids from Paris, France and the San Francisco Bay Area. Edmonton's prior experience hosting major international events — the 1978 Commonwealth Games and the 1983 Summer Universiade — supported its successful candidacy.

Event

The 8th World Championships in Athletics were held at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta, from 3 to 12 August 2001. The event featured opening and closing ceremonies with music composed by Canadian composers Jan Randall and Cassius Khan, performed by a thousand-voice choir and the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra.

Consequence

The championships represented the first hosting of the World Championships in Athletics on North American soil. Paris, which had been a rival bidder for the 2001 event, went on to host the subsequent edition of the championships.

Result

Various nations

at Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Timeline Context

Timeline around 200120011998199920002002200320042001 World Men's Handball Championship — 2001 edition of the World Men's Handball Championship2001–02 UEFA Cup — 31st season of Europe's secondary club football tournament organised by UEFAUEFA Women's Euro 2001 — 2001 edition of the UEFA Women's EuroEuroBasket 2001 — 2001 edition of the Eurobasket2001 Formula One World Championship — sports seasonEurovision Song Contest 2001 — 46th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest2001 insurgency in Macedonia — armed conflict during the Yugoslav Wars2001 Copa América — 2001 edition of the Copa América association football competition2001-world-championships-in-athletics-2001-edition-of-the-2001