IAAF creates Hall of Fame
The president of athletics' world governing body IAAF Lamine Diack said on Thursday that the organisation was creating a Hall of Fame.
"As part of the celebrations to mark to the Centennial Year of the International Association of Athletics Federations, the IAAF is proud to announce the inauguration of the IAAF Hall of Fame in 2012," Diack told a press conference in Istanbul.
The IAAF has established strict criteria which athletes need to fulfil before being considered for membership of the Hall of Fame
Athletes need to have won at least two Olympic or World Championships gold medals and set at least one World record and they must have been retired for at least 10 years at the time of election to the Hall of Fame.
Diack announced 12 of the 24 founding members, amongst them are American superstars Jesse Owens and Carl Lewis, as well as Finnish long distance runner Paavo Nurmi.
Others are Al Oerter, who won the discuss gold medal for four consecutive years and Dutch sprinter Fanny Blankers-Koen, who also set world records in the high and long jump.
