History
The previous format (known as the IAAF World Cup) included separate men's and women's competitions. Eight teams would take part in each event - five continental and three national. If the stadium had a ninth lane, the host nation could also enter a team. The winning men's and women's teams (and runners-up) from the preceding European Team Championships qualified as national teams for the World Cup, together with the United States. The continental teams comprised Africa, Asia, Oceania, the rest of America (North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association and Confederación Sudamericana de Atletismo), and the rest of Europe.
Beginning with the 2010 event in Split, Croatia, the format was changed and the competition renamed the IAAF Continental Cup. The number of regional teams was reduced to four: Africa, Asia/Pacific, Europe and the Americas. National teams were eliminated from the competition. In addition, the separate men's and women's competitions were merged; the continental teams now compete for a single mixed championship.
Read more about this topic: IAAF Continental Cup
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