1983 World Championships in Athletics | 1993 | 1995 Note: * Indicates athletes who ran in preliminary rounds. 1983 | 1987 | 1991 | 1993 | 1995 1983 | 1987 | 1991 | 1993 | 1995 Note: * Indicates athletes who ran in preliminary rounds. 1983 | 1987 | 1991 | 1993 | 1995 1983 World Championships in Athletics The inaugural 1983 World Championships in Athletics were run under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations and were held at the Olympic Stadium in Helsinki, Finland between 7 and 14 August 1983. The overall medal table was a closely contested affair. East Germany
IAAF World Championships in Athletics hosted separate from the Olympic Games (traditionally the main championship for the sport). 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 idea of having an Athletics World Championships was around well before the competition's first event in 1983. In 1913, the IAAF decided that the Olympic Games would serve as the World Championships for athletics. This was considered suitable for over 50 years until in the late 1960s