The Weltklasse in Köln was an annual one-day outdoor track and field meeting at the Müngersdorfer Stadion in Cologne, Germany. First held in 1934,Sportpark Müngersdorf. Stadt Koln. Retrieved 2019-09-15. it was organised by ASV Köln until 1999, when the meeting folded after its fiftieth edition due to financial reasons. Despite the meeting's long history, it was not included in the IAAF's international circuit, although it did receive IAAF Grand Prix status for its final edition.1999 Grand Prix Standings. IAAF. Retrieved 2019-09-01.
Earlier in its history, the meeting was known as the ASV-Sportfest or Internationale Leichtathletik-Sportfest. Following its establishment in 1934, the meeting's second edition hosted several newly crowned Olympic champions in 1936 after the Berlin Olympics. It played host to the German Athletics Championships in 1947. The meeting returned after World War II with a meeting in 1952 and the first world record was set at the stadium in 1958, courtesy of the German men's 4 × 100 metres relay team. The 1980s and 1990s saw several more world records set at the Müngersdorfer Stadion. Former sprinter Manfred Germar was head of the organising committee for its final three decades.Rösch wird Sportdirektor beim ASV. Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger (2007-06-29). Retrieved 2019-09-15.Wenig, Jörg (2009-09-04). Abschied von der Golden League in Brüssel. Der Tagesspiegel. Retrieved 2019-09-15.Kein Preis zu hoch, Der Spiegel 30/1998, 20. Juli 1998, S. 165/166Sportfest des ASV Köln fällt aus. Rheinische Post (2000-04-03). Retrieved 2019-09-15.Schwenk, Gustav (2005-03-10). Manfred Germar – Mehr als nur „der Schnell-Läufer“. German Athletics Association. Retrieved 2019-09-15.
World records
+World records set at the Weltklasse in Köln Year Event RecordWorld records. World Athletics. Retrieved 2024-07-18. Athlete Nationality1958, 29 August39.5 Martin LauerHeinz FüttererManfred Germar1983, 28 August3:31.241983, 28 AugustPole vault5.82 m1986, 17 August12.351986, 17 August12.291989, 20 August7:29.451992, 17 August7:28.961995, 18 AugustPole vault4.20 m1997, 24 August1:41.111997, 24 August7:55.72
References