IAAF President´s Message:

It seems remarkable that two years have passed since the last edition of the IAAF World Youth Championships in Marrakesh, Morocco. In Ostrava, we will be able to adjudge the future stars and trends of our sport, as we watch the current generation of gifted youngsters compete on a global track and field platform for the first time in their careers.

Young people today have many choices, not only when it comes to sport, but other leisure activities. That was why the IAAF created the World Youth Championships because if the sport of athletics does not reach out in an assertive way to this age group; if we do not encourage them to fall in love with our sport, then we will face grave difficulties in the future.

But ever since the first edition, this Championships has proved to be a winner, not only with our Member Federations and young athletes but also with local organisers who appreciate the unique qualities of the "World Youth". This is because the World Youth Championships is not just another athletics competition but also an opportunity for youngsters to gain valuable experience, to improve personal bests, and to build friendships with their rivals from every corner of the world.

I am particularly proud to announce that a special clinic is being organized - called the Ostrava Master Class, which aims to provide an interactive forum in which youngsters can gain an entertaining, and educational view of our sport and learn from IAAF Ambassadors, great athletes like Jan Zelezny, Steve Ovett, Marie Jose-Perec, Wilson Kipketer, Svetlana Masterkova and many others.

By meeting these great names from the past, who started out in the same way, our young athletes will learn a lot - not only about coping with training and competition, but about the importance of Fair Play and the fight against doping.

I am fully confident that our friends from the city of Ostrava and the Athletics Family of the Czech Republic will ensure that this competition is a tremendous success.

Lamine Diack
IAAF President.

Lord Mayor of the City of Ostrava Message:

Dear sport fans,

I am happy that the Fifth Track and Field World Championship of athletes 17 years old and younger will take place in Ostrava, the metropolis of the Moravian-Silesian region, which is well known thanks to its high quality sport background and enthusiastic fans knowing how to create an excellent atmosphere. Athletes from all over the world, the regular participants in the Super Grand Prix meeting Golden Spike can confirm that. The excellent organisation and the direct contact with spectators have been already highly valued by Olympic Games winners and world record holders like, for example the discus thrower Věra Cechlová-Pospíšilová, the javelin thrower  Jan Železný, the decathlete Roman Šebrle, sprinters Marion Jones and Asafa Powell, or pole vaulter Jelena Isinbajeva.

I believe that you will like both conditions and the environment in the Municipal Stadium in Vítkovice and that you will find, despite the demanding sport programme, some time to see also the City and its places of interest. They are, for example, the Silesian Ostrava Castle, Mining Museum, the New City Hall Tower, and the famous Stodolní Street.

Ostrava is a modern city inhabited by many young people. They find there many opportunities for varied activities in the areas of education, culture and sports. Some of them belong among track and field’s hopes and they will wave the flag of the Czech Republic during the next championship. I wish a lot of success to all young sport talents from one hundred and ninety world countries in their competitions and to all fans of the “Queen of Sports” the attractive show and nice experiences.

Ing. Petr Kajnar
Ostrava’s Lord Mayor

LOC and CAS President ´s Message:

On behalf of the Czech Athletic Federation and also the Local Organising Committee, as well as the City of Ostrava, I would like to welcome all those of you, who are coming to watch the website of the IAAF World Youth Championships in Ostrava, July 2007.

The LOC did the best possible effort during previous two years in order to prepare the best conditions by organisation of this very important world athletics event, the first ever World Athletics Championships organised in our country, the Czech Republic.

I hope sincerely, that the website of the Championships can enable all of you to see what you need. If you are the next participant of the event, you should see everything important connecting with your travel and organisation of the event. If you are just a fan, the web can tell you a lot of important points regarding the event, the city and the country. And each of you, who are coming to see the website and are not satisfied with, please, contact the LOC by Email and tell us, please, what you think is missing, or, what you would like to have on in additional.

The LOC and I personally can promise you to do our job by Championships organisation as good as possible.

Karel Pilný
CAF and LOC President