Jamaica's 4x100m quartet at the 2011 World Championships, posing with the clock showing their new world record time
The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has announced that the 15th edition of its flagship World Athletics Championships, set for Beijing from 22-30 August, will again feature its World Record Programme, under which athletes achieving a world record will be eligible for a special world record bonus worth US$100,000, with the support of IAAF partners TDK (men's events) and Toyota (women's events).
In announcing the World Record Programme, the IAAF acknowledged that “setting a world record at an IAAF World Championships is an extremely rare feat.”
In the 32-year history of the event, barely 20 world records have been posted. The last World Record Award to be presented was to the Jamaican 4x100m quartet at the 2011 World Championships, with team members sharing US $100,000, after running a time of 37.04 and trimming 0.06 from the time the Jamaican quartet set when striking gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
To qualify, the performance must be an improvement on the existing IAAF World Record. Performances which equal the existing IAAF World Record will not be eligible for a World Record Award.
The payment of prize money and bonuses is dependent on the usual ratification process, including athletes clearing the relevant anti-doping procedures.
TDK's involvement in the IAAF World Athletics Championships goes beyond the World Record Award as it has been the main bib sponsor (men's events) for all 14 previous editions and will maintain that involvement in Beijing.
The Japanese multi-national electronics company has been involved in the IAAF's flagship competition in an unbroken period of 32 years.
“TDK has continued in its long support of the World Championships because we have felt that the Championships, which see the world's top athletes competing to win through their great skills and spirit has a resonance with TDK's own efforts to overcome international competition through the technology and spirit of our winning technology,” said Kazutoshi Kogure, Senior Manager Corporate Communication Group TDK Corporation.
Toyota Motor Corporation has sponsored the women's bibs at every IAAF World Championships since the Paris edition in 2003.
“The World Championships are an event where the best athletes from all over the world vie to be the world’s best and the fans bond together by supporting athletes challenging limits. It is a pleasure for Toyota, as an Official IAAF Partner, to be able to share the “one-mind” experience with sports fans around the world. Toyota will continue to support the development of events where world-class athletes aim to achieve the pinnacle of mind and body,” a Toyota spokesperson said.
Toyota will also provide 200 vehicles during the IAAF World Championships, which will be used for a variety of purposes including transporting athletes and officials during the competition.
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