The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has announced the creation of a Hall of Fame, with sprinters Jesse Owens and Carl Lewis and long-distance legend Emil Zatopek among the 12 former athletes to make up the inaugural inductees.
Five Americans are among the inductees: Owens, Lewis, Al Oerter, Ed Moses and Jackie Joyner-Kersee, along with Czech Zatopek, Australia's Betty Cuthbert, Ethiopian Abebe Bikila, Finland's Paavo Nurmi, Brazilian Adhemar da Silva, Dutchwoman Fanny Blankers-Koen and China's Wang Junxia.
"The creation of the IAAF Hall of Fame, which has long been a vision of the sport's world governing body, is an excellent way not only to honor the lifetime achievements of our greatest athletes, but also to heighten public awareness of our sport and its rich history," IAAF president Lamine Diack said at an event on the eve of the 14th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Istanbul.
Athletes must have won at least two Olympic or world championship gold medals and have set at least one world record to be considered for the Hall of Fame. Only athletes retired from competition for at least 10 years will be eligible.
A Hall of Fame selection panel has been set up by the IAAF to judge potential inductees, composed of "renowned athletics experts" who are members of the Association of Track and Field Statisticians, according to a statement released by the IAAF.
A total of 24 athletes will be inducted to the Hall of Fame this year at a ceremony in Barcelona on 24 November. The remaining 12 inductees will be announced in July and August.
