The International Association of Athletics Federations World Indoor Championships were inaugurated as the World Indoor Games in 1985 in Paris, France and were subsequently renamed in 1987 as they are known today.

History

They have been held every two years except for when they were held in consecutive years 2003 and 2004 to facilitate the need for them to be held in alternate years to the main IAAF World Championships (outdoors) in the future.

Events

The events held have remained more or less the same since they originated with the main alterations coming in the earlier years.
The 4 x 400 m. relay race for both men and women was added to the full schedule in 1991 as was the women's triple jump but only as an exhibition event before gaining full status the following championships.

1993 saw the last of the racewalking events included and a 1600 m medley relay was tried but dropped for future games. This same year a men's heptathlon and women's pentathlon were successfully introduced as a non-championship event and have remained in place since.

In 1997 the women's pole vault entered the fray two years before it made an appearance at the games outdoor counterpart.

For the 2006 championships to be held in Moscow, Russia the 200 m. will be absent as in recent years it has become too predictable due to the tight bends involved, athletes not drawn in one of the outside lanes have next to no chance of winning.

Outstanding achievements

Six gold medals

In their short history the championships have seen Mozambique's Maria Mutola claim an incredible 6 gold medals in the women's 800 m from 1993 to 2004, her only defeat coming at the hands of Ludmila Formanová of the Czech Republic in 1999 in a championship record of 1 minute 56.9 seconds that still stands.

Five gold medals

Cuban Iván Pedroso took five straight golds in the men's long jump from 1993-2001.
Stefka Kostadinova of Bulgaria a high jumper has also taken top spot five times in the women's event.

Four gold medals

Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia won 3 golds in the 3,000 m as well as 1 in the 1,500 m which he won in 1999 when winning both events.
Sergey Bubka has taken 3 golds in the pole vault representing the Soviet Union as well as 1 representing Ukraine since the break up of the old Eastern bloc.
Another Cuban Javier Sotomayor features in the list as he has taken 4 golds as well as a bronze in the men's high jump.

List of indoor world championships

• 1985 IAAF World Indoor Championships , Paris, France
• 1987 IAAF World Indoor Championships , Indianapolis, United States of America
• 1989 IAAF World Indoor Championships , Budapest, Hungary
• 1991 IAAF World Indoor Championships , Seville, Spain
• 1993 IAAF World Indoor Championships , Toronto, Canada
• 1995 IAAF World Indoor Championships , Barcelona, Spain
• 1997 IAAF World Indoor Championships , Paris, France
• 1999 IAAF World Indoor Championships , Maebashi, Japan
• 2001 IAAF World Indoor Championships , Lisbon, Portugal
• 2003 IAAF World Indoor Championships , Birmingham, England
• 2004 IAAF World Indoor Championships, Budapest, Hungary
• 2006 IAAF World Indoor Championships, Moscow, Russia

See also

Outdoor World Athletics Championships

1983 | 1987 | 1991 | 1993 | 1995 | 1997 | 1999 | 2001 | 2003 | 2005