Int'l track and field competition for veteran athletes kicks off in Daegu

DAEGU, South Korea - The 26th World Masters Athletics Championships commenced on Friday with a diverse group of former Olympic gold medalists and record-holding veteran athletes arriving in the city. The biennial competition is set to run until September 3rd, drawing 11,176 participants from across 106 nations.

The event kicks off at Daegu Stadium with a 6 pm opening ceremony, serving as the primary venue for the 17 track events, 11 field events, and six road races. Athletes aged 35 and above are eligible to compete.

Daegu, known as the "mecca of athletics" in South Korea, is making its debut as the host city. The city, located 240 kilometers southeast of Seoul, previously hosted the World Athletics Championships in 2011 and the indoor World Masters in 2017.

Among the notable participants is Sawang Janpram from Thailand, who will compete at the age of 106 in discus throw and javelin throw. South Korean veteran Hwang Young-cho, a former men's marathon champion, will compete in the men's 10-kilometer race. Other former Olympic medalists joining the competition include Dainis Kula, James Beckford, and Nobuharu Asahara.

Kim Hee-sun, a 63-year-old former South Korean high jumper, will represent her country in the women's high jump, having broken the national record 11 times during her career. Daegu has enlisted approximately 1,200 volunteers to assist foreign athletes and officials during the two-week event.

Translation services will be available in English, Japanese, Chinese, German, Spanish, and French, while free shuttle services connecting major transportation hubs and competition venues began on Thursday. The organizing committee has also arranged cultural programs to help international athletes and officials explore South Korean culture.