The eyes of the world will be on southeastern New Brunswick next week as Moncton and Sackville get set to host thousands of young athletes and their entourages from across the world for the IAAF World Junior Championships.
Young, up-and-coming international track and field stars from nearly every continent will converge on the area starting next weekend, with the athletes expected to start arriving in Sackville on Friday and Saturday (July 16-17).
From North and South America, to Asia, Africa, Europe and Oceania, more than 2,000 athletes representing hundreds of nations will be housed at both Mount Allison University and Université de Moncton during the week-long competitions, which will take place at the new world-class Moncton 2010 Stadium (which has been under construction for more than two years).
The $20-million stadium is being built to the IAAF’s rigorous standards. It will feature seating for 10,000 with the capability to be expanded to 20,000 seats for future events. The stadium will be the biggest of its kind in Atlantic Canada and has been designed to accommodate a wide variety of events beyond just track and field.
The IAAF World Junior Championships is the first athletics event of this level to ever be held in Atlantic Canada, not to mention one of the highest profile international events ever hosted in the Atlantic Provinces.
The athletes will compete in 44 medal events, ranging from javelin to hammer, from shot put to pole vault, and high jump to sprinting.
The 400 meter, eight lane track at the stadium has a Mondo FTX surface, the same artificial surface used at the Beijing Olympics.
The athletes’ village at Mount Allison University, which will feature a cluster of 12 dorms offering single or twin-bed rooms, is approximately a 30-minute drive from the Moncton stadium. Shuttle transportation to and from the track events will be available for the athletes and coaches every 30 minutes, with the buses expected to drop off and pick up on York Street in front of the university’s student centre.
The town of Sackville is also planning a busy line-up of cultural activities to keep the athletes busy and enjoying what the community has to offer throughout their week-long stay
