Final sprint to IAAF championships

Moncton, N.B.,is three weeks away from hosting some of the world's top young athletes at the IAAF World Junior Championships.

The track-and-field competition will be the biggest sporting event ever held in Atlantic Canada and organizers are rushing to get the facilities in order.

Canadian junior trials get underway Friday. More than 1,400 athletes aged 19 or younger from over 170 countries will be competing in the event, which runs July 19 to 25.

Nancy McKay, the event's chief operating officer, said construction is not the only remaining hurdle. She is hoping to see a jump in advance tickets sales.

"We have over 50 per cent capacity in a round figure. I mean, now, I'm sure we're pushing closer to 60, but what we really want is we'd like a full stadium to welcome the world," she said.

"We have bleacher sections that will move in, so it will be a complete bowl where people will have a good view no matter what seat, and the prices are very reasonable."

Call for volunteers

Organizers expect 50,000 people to attend the event.

McKay is also hoping to recruit another 300 volunteers over the final three weeks. About 2,000 people have already stepped forward.

Bob Leblanc is the general manager of venues and responsible for every item at every location.

Leblanc said unexpected delays have made his job more difficult.

"The construction of the stadium being late certainly didn't help. We couldn't get in here," he said of the $20-million Stade Moncton on the University of Moncton campus.

"We were supposed to get in here the first of May, so it's really put a crunch to us.What it means now is ramping up."

The stadium, which organizers said is the largest of its kind in Atlantic Canada, will seat 10,000 people and can expand to hold 20,000.

Leblanc said he is confident that when the first starter's pistol is fired, everything will be ready.