The Moi Sports Centre Kasarani will host the World Athletics Continental Tour for the first time ever. PHOTO/World Athletics
NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 24 – The Moi International Sports Centre Kasarani will host the opening leg of the 2020 World Athletics Continental Tour (Gold level), Nairobi becoming the first African City to host the lucrative event.
The pilot year of the Sh200mn Gold meeting series will now visit four continents – Africa, Asia, Europe and North America.
This will be a massive incentive for Kenyan athletics especially coming just before Nairobi hosts the World Under-20 championships and the one-day meet will be a massive platform to test the systems ahead of the July event.
Nairobi will stage the 3000m steeplechase, 5000m and 10,000m for men and women as part of its programme. This is expected to be the highest quality senior international meeting to be held in Kenya’s history.
The core events in Nairobi will be the men’s and women’s 200m, the steeplechase and women’s triple jump.
World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said the impetus for creating the Continental Tour was to provide more competition and earning opportunities for more athletes.
“Between the Wanda Diamond League and the Continental Tour all disciplines will be catered for and many more athletes will have access to top class competition,’’ he said.
The Continental Tour will be divided into three levels – Gold, Silver and Bronze – whose status will be determined by the quality of competition and prize money on offer.
The Gold Level meets will each offer a total of Sh20mn (200,000USD) in prize money, to increase the number of high-quality competitive opportunities available to showcase the sport’s best athletes.
Those disciplines that are not included in this year’s Diamond League final – 200m, 3000m steeplechase, triple jump, discus – will be core events in the Continental Tour Gold meetings, as will the hammer throw.
Each will have guaranteed prize money of Sh2mn ($US20,000) at each meeting.
Performances in those events will attract the same level of world ranking points as the core Diamond League disciplines, and the overall tour winners will receive wildcard entry to the 2021World Athletics Championships in Oregon, USA.
Continental Tour schedule
2 May – Nairobi KEN (Africa)
10 May – Tokyo JPN (Asia)
13 May – Nanjing CHN (Asia)
22 May – Ostrava CZE (Europe)
1 June – Hengelo NED (Europe)
9 June – Turku FIN (Europe)
13 June – Kingston JAM (North America)
7 June- Szekesfehervar HUN (Europe)
6 September – Silesia POL (Europe)
15 September – Zagreb CRO (Europe)
-Additional info courtesy World Athletics
