May 12, 2011 

Colorful Daegu Pre-Championships Meeting
Welcome Remarks

I would like to offer my warmest welcome to the 200 athletes from some 30 countries and to the citizens of Daegu to the Colorful Daegu Pre-Championships Meeting.

As President of the Daegu Athletics Association I would like to thank the President of the Organizing Committee for 2011 World Championship Cho Hae-nyoung, IAAF Council Member and the Korea Association of Athletics Federation Chair for their efforts in organizing this event.

I would also like to extend my special thanks to IAAF Council Member for taking the time to make the trip to Daegu.

In three short months, one of the world's most popular sporting events, the IAAF World Championships will be held here.

Because the Pre-Championships Meeting is the only Gran Prix event in Korea it is important in its own right. However, because it serves as a dress rehearsal for the IAAF World Championships Daegu 2011 it is even more meaningful. We can be proud of the fact that Daegu's sports infrastructure has been upgraded through its hosting of the 2002 World Cup, the 2003 Summer Universiade, and, in a few months time, the IAAF World Championships Daegu 2011.

For the past several years, the hosting of the Pre-Championships Meeting has given us the opportunity to both prepare for this summer and spark a rise in the level of popular interest in athletics. I know this support will inspire our athletes to an even higher caliber of performance.

Last year, for the first time in decades, a new unofficial Korean record was set in the 100 meters. In addition, at the Guangzhou Asian Games, Korean athletes achieved impressive results with four gold, three silver, and three bronze medals in athletics. In the future at the Colorful Daegu Pre-Championships Meeting I look forward to seeing new records set for both Korean and Asian athletes as we mature into Asia's representative athletics championship.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final dress rehearsal for the IAAF World Championships Daegu 2011. This is the last opportunity to check our preparations and ensure that we provide the perfect conditions for new world records.

I look forward to the support of the citizens of Daegu and the hard work of the Organizing Committee. Let's make sure that the world understands and shares our passion for the great sport of athletics.

As I close, I want all of the men and women participating in this championship to know that they both inspire us and instil hope as they challenge the limitations of human performance. May all compete to the best of their abilities!

Thank you very much.