The IAAF World Championships, commonly referred to as the World Championships in Athletics, is a biennial athletics event organized by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). The World Championships was started in 1976 in response to the International Olympic Committee dropping the men's 50 km walk from the Olympic athletics programme for the 1976 Montreal Olympics, despite its constant presence at the games since 1932. The IAAF chose to host its own world championship event instead, a month and a half after the Olympics. It was the first World Championships that the IAAF had hosted separate from the Olympic Games. A second limited event was held in 1980, and a major expansion in 1983 is considered the official start of the event. It was then held every four years until 1991, when it switched to a two year cycle.
The 2001 European Athletics Junior Championships was an athletics competition for athletes under-20 which was held at the Stadio Olimpico Carlo Zecchini in Grosseto, Italy from 19 – 22 July 2001. A total of 44 events were contested, 22 by male and 22 by female athletes. Two new events were introduced into the programme: the women's 2000 metres steeplechase and the women's 10,000 m track walk. Five new championships records were recorded over the four-day competition, in addition to the two marks set in the newly introduced events.
Turkey competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, from 27 July to 12 August 2012. This nation has competed at every Summer Olympic Games in the modern era since its debut in 1908. Turkey, however, did not attend the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles at the period of Great Depression, and the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow because of its support for the United States-led boycott. The Turkish Olympic Committee sent the nation's largest delegation to the Games. A total of 114 athletes, 48 men and 66 women, competed in 16 sports. For the first time in its Olympic history, Turkey was represented by more female than male athletes. Women's basketball and women's volleyball were the only team-based sports in which Turkey had its representation in these Olympic games. There was only a single competitor in archery, badminton, and artistic gymnastics.
The United Kingdom competed under the name Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The nation was represented by 72 athletes at the 2010 European Athletics Championships held in Barcelona, Spain.
San Marino was represented by 2 athletes at the 2010 European Athletics Championships held in Barcelona, Spain.
Iceland will be represented by 6 athletes at the 2010 European Athletics Championships held in Barcelona, Spain.
Israel will be represented by 16 athletes at the 2010 European Athletics Championships held in Barcelona, Spain.
Spain, the host country of the 2010 European Athletics Championships held in Barcelona, was represented by 88 athletes.
Russia competed at the 2014 Summer Youth Olympics, in Nanjing, China from 16 August to 28 August 2014.
Belarus competed at the 2014 Summer Youth Olympics, in Nanjing, China from 16 August to 28 August 2014.
Turkey competed at the 2014 Summer Youth Olympics, in Nanjing, China from 16 August to 28 August 2014.
Great Britain competed at the 2014 European Athletics Championships in Zürich, Switzerland, from 12–17 August 2014. British Athletics named a team of 74 athletes on 15 July 2014. Great Britain topped the medal table with their greatest gold medal haul in European Championships history. Adam Gemili won the nation's 100th gold medal in the history of the championships.
Turkey competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 5 to 21 August 2016. Since the nation's debut in 1908, Turkish athletes have appeared in every edition of the Summer Olympic Games, except for three different occasions. Turkey failed to register any athletes at the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, did not attend the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles at the period of worldwide Great Depression, and also joined the United States-led boycott, when Moscow hosted the 1980 Summer Olympics. The Turkish team consisted of 103 athletes, 55 men and 48 women, across twenty-one sports.
Norway competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 5 to 21 August 2016. Since the nation's debut in 1900, Norwegian athletes have appeared in every edition of the Summer Olympic Games, except for two occasions: the sparsely attended 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis and the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, because of its partial support of the United States-led boycott.
Slovenia competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 5 to 21 August 2016. This was the nation's seventh consecutive appearance at the Summer Olympics as an independent nation.
Ukraine competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 5 to 21 August 2016. This was the nation's sixth consecutive appearance at the Summer Olympics in the post-Soviet era.
Belgium competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 5 to 21 August 2016. Since the nation's official debut in 1900, Belgian athletes had appeared in every edition of the Summer Olympic Games, with the exception of the sparsely attended 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis. The Belgian team consisted of 108 athletes, 70 men and 38 women, across nineteen sports.
Finland competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 5 to 21 August 2016. Finnish athletes have appeared in every edition of the Summer Olympic Games since the nation's official debut in 1908.
Azerbaijan competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 5 to 21 August 2016. This was the nation's sixth consecutive appearance at the Summer Olympics in the post-Soviet era.
The Italian team at the running events represents Italy at senior level at the road running, racewalking, cross country running and track long-distance running events, such as World championships, World of Eurpean Cups.
