The IAAF Continental Cup was an international track and field competition organized by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).
The event was proposed by IAAF former President Primo Nebiolo and was first held in 1977 as the IAAF World Cup. The event was initially held every two years, but following the establishment of the World Athletics Championships it moved to a quadrennial basis. The 1989 edition was held the same year as the World Indoor Championships, then moved to the even-year between the Summer Olympics, ensuring the sport of athletics had a global competition in all years.
The original format included separate men's and women's competitions consisting of 21 events each, with team points being awarded for the finishing position of each athlete. Eight teams, five continental and three national, entered an athlete in each event: if the stadium had a ninth lane, the host nation would also be permitted to enter.
The eight entrants included the United States, the top two nations in the preceding European Cup and continental teams comprising Africa, Asia, Oceania, the rest of the Americas (North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association and Confederación Sudamericana de Atletismo), and the rest of Europe.
From 2010, the event was rebranded to the IAAF Continental Cup, with the national teams being removed, and team scoring incorporated both the sexes. Two athletes per individual event were entered by four regional teams: Africa, Asia/Pacific, Europe and the Americas), though the regions had only one team each for the relay events.IAAF Council Meeting notes, Monaco - 21 November. IAAF (2008-11-21). Retrieved on 2009-09-11.
After a decision at the 206th IAAF Council Meeting, held after the 2016 Summer Olympics, long-distance events were removed from the programme, and the 4 × 400 metres relay event was modified to a mixed-gender event.Competitions Update. IAAF. Retrieved on 2016-08-21.
A nation-based competition, the Athletics World Cup, was staged in 2018 by an independent promoter. The IAAF competition was briefly rebranded as the World Athletics Continental Cup in 2019, but the event was scrapped in March 2020.
Results IAAF World Cup Edition Year Venue Division Cup winners Second place Third place 1st 1977 Düsseldorf Men East Germany United States West Germany Women Europe East Germany Soviet Union 2nd 1979 Montreal Men United States Europe East Germany Women East Germany Soviet Union Europe 3rd 1981 Rome Men Europe East Germany United States Women East Germany Europe Soviet Union 4th 1985 Canberra Men United States Soviet Union East Germany Women East Germany Soviet Union Europe 5th 1989 Barcelona Men United States Europe Great Britain Women East Germany Soviet Union America 6th 1992 Havana Men Africa Great Britain Europe Women Unified Team Europe America 7th 1994 London Men Africa Great Britain America Women Europe America Germany 8th 1998 Johannesburg Men Africa Europe Germany Women United States Europe Africa 9th 2002 Madrid Men Africa Europe United States Women Russia Europe America 10th 2006 Athens Men Europe United States Africa Women Russia Europe America
IAAF Continental Cup YearVenueCup winnersSecond placeThird placeFourth place 2010 Split, CroatiaOverall Americas Europe Africa Asia/PacificPoints424.5410295292.5 Men Europe Americas Africa Asia/Pacific Women Americas Europe Africa Asia/Pacific 2014 Marrakesh, MoroccoOverall Europe Americas Africa Asia/PacificPoints447.5390339257.5 Men Europe Americas Africa Asia/Pacific Women Europe Americas Africa Asia/Pacific2018Ostrava, Czech Republic Overall Americas Europe Asia/Pacific AfricaPoints262233188142
Cup records Key to tables:
Men EventRecordNameNationalityTeamDateGames100 m9.87 Obadele ThompsonAmericas11 September 19981998 Johannesburg200 m19.87 Wallace SpearmonUnited States17 September 20062006 Athens400 m44.22Jeremy WarinerAmericas4 September 20102010 Split800 m1:43.37David RudishaAfrica5 September 20101500 m3:31.20Bernard LagatUnited States20 September 20022002 Madrid3000 m7:32.19Craig MottramOceania17 September 20062006 Athens5000 m13:13.82Miruts YifterAfrica3 July 19771977 Düsseldorf10,000 m27:38.43Werner SchildhauerEast Germany4 September 19811981 Rome3000 m steeplechase8:09.67Richard MateelongAfrica5 September 20102010 Split110 m hurdles12.96 Allen JohnsonUnited States17 September 20062006 Athens400 m hurdles47.37Edwin MosesUnited States4 September 19811981 RomeAbderrahman SambaAsia-Pacific8 September 20182018 Ostrava High jump2.40 mJavier SotomayorAmericas11 September 19941994 LondonPole vault5.95 mSteve HookerOceania5 September 20102010 SplitLong jump8.52 m Larry MyricksUnited States26 September 19791979 MontrealTriple jump17.61 m Yoelbi QuesadaAmericas10 September 19941994 LondonShot put22.00 mUlf TimmermannEast Germany5 October 19851985 CanberraDiscus throw71.25 mRóbert FazekasEurope21 September 20022002 MadridHammer throw82.68 mTibor GécsekEurope12 September 19981998 JohannesburgJavelin throw89.26 mAndreas ThorkildsenEurope5 September 20102010 Split4 × 100 m relay37.59Kaaron Conwright Wallace Spearmon Tyson Gay Jason SmootsUnited States16 September 20062006 Athens4 × 400 m relay2:59.00 VariousAmericas5 September 20102010 Split
Women EventRecordNameNationalityDateGames100 m10.65 Marion JonesUnited States12 September 19981998 Johannesburg200 m21.62 Marion JonesUnited States11 September 1998400 m47.60Marita KochEast Germany6 October 19851985 Canberra800 m1:54.44Ana Fidelia QuirotAmericas9 September 19891989 Barcelona1500 m4:00.84Maryam Yusuf JamalAsia17 September 20062006 Athens3000 m8:27.50Sifan HassanEurope8 September 20182018 Ostrava5000 m14:39.11Meseret DefarAfrica17 September 20062006 Athens10,000 m30:52.51Elana MeyerAfrica10 September 19941994 London100 m hurdles12.47 Dawn Harper-NelsonAmericas14 September 20142014 Marrakech400 m hurdles52.96Nezha BidouaneAfrica11 September 19981998 Johannesburg3000 m steeplechase9:07.92Beatrice ChepkoechAfrica9 September 20182018 OstravaHigh jump2.05 mBlanka VlašićEurope5 September 20102010 SplitPole vault4.85 mAnzhelika SidorovaEurope8 September 20182018 OstravaKaterina StefanidiEuropeSandi MorrisAmericasLong jump7.27 m Heike DrechslerEast Germany6 October 19851985 CanberraTriple jump15.25 m Olga RypakovaAsia4 September 20102010 SplitShot put20.98 mIlona SlupianekEast Germany24 August 19791979 MontrealDiscus throw71.54 mIlke WyluddaEast Germany10 September 19891989 BarcelonaHammer throw75.46 mDeAnna PriceAmericas8 September 20182018 OstravaJavelin throw65.52 mBarbora ŠpotákováEurope13 September 20142014 Marrakech68.14 m Mariya AbakumovaEurope4 September 20102010 Split 4 × 100 m relay41.37Silke Möller Sabine Günther Ingrid Auerswald Marlies GöhrEast Germany6 October 19851985 Canberra4 × 400 m relay3:19.50Kirsten Emmelmann Sabine Busch Dagmar Neubauer Marita KochEast Germany4 October 1985
Trophy
A silver trophy was presented to winners of the men's competition. The women's equivalent was later remodelled and used for the Continental Cup. The winners' names were engraved around the bottom and the winners would keep a hold of the trophy until the next edition.
As the IAAF World Cup, World Cup trophies were presented to the athletes of the winning team. It was the sole prize awarded by the IAAF for the team category.
As the IAAF Continental Cup, in 2018, a new trophy was unveiled for the winners of the combined team event (men and women). All individual athletes of the winning team were presented with awards for the first time.
References
External links World Athletics Continental Cup IAAF World Cup and Continental Cup Statistic Handbook Mark Butler's top ten moments: Men, Women