10th IAAF World Championships in Athletics
Helsinki 6th -14th of August, 2005

15.10.2004

Competition schedule enables short visits from Tallinn

Over half of the tickets for the Helsinki World Championships sold

The spurt for the arrangements of the Helsinki 2005 World Championships in Athletics is about to start. Over half of the 400,000 tickets available for the track and field event to be held August 6-14, 2005 have already been sold and the new track and grass surfaces of the Helsinki Olympic Stadium have been completed. The preparations for the World Championships proceed as scheduled.

- With the arrangements in order and on schedule, we have time to concentrate on the core product. In Helsinki World Championships all performances taking place in the Stadium will be synchronised better than ever before, believes Mr Antti Pihlakoski, CEO of the 10th IAAF World Championships in Athletics.

- We wish to demonstrate to the spectators that a functional competition schedule and a carefully planned event presentation enable them to enjoy each moment of the Championships. The experience is intensified through the slow motion images on large video screens as well as through professional service and excellent atmosphere, Mr Pihlakoski says. In Helsinki World Championships, each of the nine competition days has its own theme. Each day presents in various ways one of the nine previous IAAF World Championships.

- In our aim to increase the enjoyment of the warm atmosphere, we wish to offer the spectators a possibility to take a peek at the most glorious moments of the previous World Championships in Athletics, Mr Pihlakoski explains.

Competitions for all ages

The theme of the Helsinki World Championships is “Athletics through Generations”. In addition to the World Championships, there will be events for young athletes, masters and the disabled.

- I believe that in Finlandia Junior Games, Masters Athletics Grand Prix in Lahti and in the European Championships in Athletics for the disabled which will be held right after the World Championships, there will be many athletes participating from Estonia, Mr Pihlakoski states.

- In planning the competition schedule, we have taken into consideration the strong development of Estonian athletics during the past few years and the excellent fans of Erki Nool travelling after him. The competitions start and end at such times that it is easy to visit the event from Tallinn especially, Pihlakoski points out.

The day competitions start at 10.30 am and the evening sessions at 6.30 pm. The competitions finish daily by 10.30 pm.

Seats only for 25,000 spectators per session

The positive problem of the event organisers is that Helsinki Olympic Stadium can accommodate only 25,000 spectators per session. The small number of seats available for the public is due to the large number of media representatives and officials for which seats has to be reserved.

- Therefore, in order to get a ticket for a particular day, the fans of athletics need to act the soonest. The best of the ticket packages are being sold faster than expected. For example in regard to the final of men’s javelin on Wednesday August 10th, over 80 % of the seats at the Stadium have already been sold.

source: www.helsinki2005.fi