By Mike Rowbottom

MNAC MuseumNovember 20 - Gold medallists from the London Olympics of 2012 and 1948 will be among the 120 athletes gathering for the annual World Athletics Gala of the International Athletics Foundation.


The event, usually hosted in Monaco, will take place this year in Barcelona and will serve as the climax of a packed programme of activities to mark the International Association of Athletics' Federation's (IAAF) centenary.

Joining the athletes will be more than 600 members of the World Athletics Family, and other International Sports' Federations and the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

The venues of the 2015 World Cross Country Championships and 2015 World Youth Championships will be decided at the IAAF Council meeting on Thursday and Friday (November 22-23), and progress reports will be received from the three 2013 World Athletics Series events, including the World Championships in Moscow.

On Thursday (November 22), in the Palacio de Albéniz a dinner given by the City of Barcelona will be hosted by the Mayor Xavier Trias, while on Friday (November 23), following an IAAF press conference to mark the end of the Council meeting, a Welcome Banquet will be held in the evening in the historical Drassanes Museum.

Yelena Isinbayeva at NIARussian pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva will be among several athletics legends leading master classes for youngsters in Barcelona

On Saturday (November 24) an IAAF/ Nestlé Kids' Athletics exhibition event takes place at the Arc de Triomf, in the centre of the city, with the eight teams of 10 to 11 year-old children being led by athletics legends such as Fermin Cacho, Pauline Davis-Thompson, Meseret Defar, Frankie Fredericks, Maurice Greene, Yelena Isinbayeva, Paula Radcliffe and Irena Szewinska.

The 2012 Athletes of the Year Award Ceremony will take place at the Hotel Pullman Skipper later on Saturday.

Following the Award Ceremony a VIP visit has been organised to the IAAF Centenary Historic Exhibition which is housed at the Museu Olímpic i de l'Esport Joan Antoni Samaranch, next to the Olympic Stadium on the hill of Montjuïc which overlooks the city centre.

The Celebrations will come to a spectacular close on Saturday night with the IAAF Centenary Gala Show in the MNAC Museum (pictured top), also located on Montjuïc, where the first 24 members will be welcomed as the new IAAF Hall of Fame is officially inaugurated.

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