9 Mar 2012

First Athletics Hall of Fame athletes named

2:52 pm on 9 March 2012

American sprinter Jesse Owens and Finnish distance runner Paavo Nurmi were among the first 12 athletes to be inaugurated into the IAAF Hall of Fame.

A total of 24 athletes, representing all major event groups, will become members in 2012, the centenary year of the International Association of Athletics Federations.

To be considered for the Hall of Fame, athletes must have been retired for at least 10 years, have won two or more Olympic or world titles and set at least one world record.

The names of the other 12 athletes due to be inducted will be announced by the IAAF throughout the year are Jesse Owens (US), Abebe Bikila (Ethiopia), Paavo Nurmi (Finland), Carl Lewis (US), Emil Zatopek (Czechoslovakia), Al Oerter (US), Adhemar da Silva (Brazil), Ed Moses (US), Fanny Blankers-Koen (Netherlands), Betty Cuthbert (Australia), Jackie Joyner-Kersee (US), Wang Junxia (China).