MOSCOW, RUSSIA - Media OutReach Newswire - 12 June 2026 - Athletics Week, an international series of competitions, took place in Moscow, bringing together around 120 athletes from 26 countries across Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America, including reigning Olympic champions. Senior sporting officials from 14 countries across four continents attended the event.

The competition brought together Olympic-calibre athletes from around the world. Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic 400-metre silver medallist and Paris 2024 Olympic champion over the same distance, won the race in Moscow in 49.89 seconds. In the 10,000 metres, Ethiopia's Eyob Simegn won in 27:55.75, ahead of Russian record holder Vladimir Nikitin, who clocked in at 27:56.24.

Russian pole vaulter Polina Knoroz cleared 4.87 metres, while Danil Lysenko won the high jump with 2.32 metres. Both marks were the leading results in their respective events worldwide in the 2026 outdoor season.

The presence of athletes and sporting officials from four continents was a testament to the growing international appeal of Athletics Week as it brought together representatives of different athletics communities from around the world.

Several foreign federation leaders praised the high standard of organisation of Athletics Week in Moscow, emphasising both the professional execution of the event and the hospitality they experienced throughout their stay.

Bienvenu Matenda Kibangala, president of the Athletics Federation of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, was among the international guests attending the competition. He spoke warmly about the atmosphere created by the organisers and local residents.

"This was my first time at this competition in Moscow, and I was not disappointed – the organisation was at the highest international level, the people were warm and welcoming, and everything ran with great discipline," Kibangala said.

Mansour Tritar, a bureau member of the Tunisian Athletics Federation and a board member of the Arab Athletics Federation, also praised the event, noting the attention to detail and the special atmosphere surrounding the competitions.

"I was impressed by the way Russians approach these competitions – the attention to detail, the atmosphere, the sense of occasion. And the spectators surprised me too – people actually dress up to come here, as if it were a celebration. You don't see that very often."

International guests noted that Moscow had created not only a world-class sporting event, but also a welcoming environment that left a lasting impression on athletes, officials and spectators alike.

Russia has a proven track record of hosting world-class sporting events, including the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics, the 2018 FIFA World Cup, the 2013 Summer Universiade in Kazan, the 2019 Winter Universiade in Krasnoyarsk as well as the 2024 BRICS Games in Kazan, a multilateral tournament that brought together around 5,000 athletes from 89 countries, including from Africa, Asia and Latin America.

"It is important for us that athletes and federation representatives from Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America came to Moscow. This shows that interest in competitions involving Russian track and field athletes remains strong," said Petr Fradkov, chairman of the Russian Athletics Federation.

Background

In March 2023, World Athletics reinstated the Russian Athletics Federation after a seven-year suspension linked to doping violations. Russian track and field athletes nevertheless remain suspended from international competition.