The IAAF World Outdoor Meetings were an annual, global circuit of one-day outdoor track and field competitions organized by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). It was created in 2003 building upon the IAAF Grand Prix series held since 1985. The series incorporated four categories of competitions: the IAAF Golden League , IAAF Super Grand Prix , IAAF Grand Prix I and IAAF Grand Prix II . The reorganisation came with the introduction of the IAAF World Rankings system. Athletes scored points based on their performances at the series meetings and the highest scoring athletes in each event were invited to compete at the IAAF World Athletics Final . The series lasted only three years before being reorganised into the IAAF World Athletics Tour .
7-662: Prior to 2003, the IAAF Grand Prix had featured four levels (Golden League, Grand Prix I and II, and IAAF Permit Meetings) and an IAAF Grand Prix Final with a limited set of events. The World Outdoor Meetings series made the Permit Meetings defunct, with most such meetings being merged into the Grand Prix II level, introduced the Super Grand Prix as the secondary level of competition, and replaced
14-543: The Grand Prix Final with the World Athletics Final. A total of five meeting categories existed over the lifetime of the circuit: Key: As part of IAAF World Athletics Tour The IAAF World Outdoor Meetings calendar remained mostly unchanged during its three years of existence. A total of 34 meetings were present for each season. The Qatar Athletic Super Grand Prix was added to
21-656: The Super Grand Prix Level for the second and third years. The Helsinki Grand Prix was dropped from the Grand Prix category in 2004. The Adidas Oregon Track Classic was dropped from the Grand Prix II category in 2005. The Grand Prix II meeting Cena Slovenska - Slovak Gold was held in the first year only and was replaced by the Grande Premio Rio de Atletismo meet for the final two years. Athletes received points based on their performances at
28-572: The events were staged in early September in European major cities which also played host to prominent annual athletics meetings. Fukuoka City became the first non-European host in 1997. Doha followed in 2000 (also the first time the event was staged in October) and Melbourne was that last non-European host before the final edition of the competition was held in Paris in 2002. The event programme
35-582: The meetings on the circuit, with more points being given at the more prestigious and competitive competitions. IAAF Grand Prix Final The IAAF Grand Prix Final was an athletics competition featuring track and field events staged by the International Association of Athletics Federations . It was first held in 1985 and replaced in 2003 by the IAAF World Athletics Final . For the most part of its history,
42-484: The tournament. From 1982 to 1992, the winners of the Grand Prix title in an event were decided by the overall seasonal points rankings gained from competing on the IAAF Grand Prix circuit. This was amended in 1993 when seasonal points served as a method of qualifying for the final, with the event winner being the victor at the Grand Prix Final event. The athlete with the greatest number of points accumulated in
49-402: Was half that of a full traditional track and field programme, with events alternating each edition. For example, a men's 100 metres and women's 200 metres were contested in 1985, but not vice versa – that arrangement was reversed in 1986 and reversed again in 1987, and so forth. Middle-distance running was particularly prominent as a 1500 metres or a mile run were held at every edition of
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