1983 in the sport of athletics

This article contains an overview of the year 1983 in athletics.

International Events

 * Asian Championships
 * Balkan Games
 * Central American and Caribbean Championships
 * European Indoor Championships
 * Mediterranean Games
 * Pan American Games
 * South American Championships
 * World Championships
 * World Cross Country Championships
 * World Student Games

100 metres

 * Main race this year: World Championships 100 metres

200 metres

 * Main race this year: World Championships 200 metres

400 metres

 * Main race this year: World Championships 400 metres

800 metres

 * Main race this year: World Championships 800 metres

1,500 metres

 * Main race this year: World Championships 1,500 metres

5,000 metres

 * Main race this year: World Championships 5,000 metres

10,000 metres

 * Main race this year: World Championships 10,000 metres

Marathon

 * Main race this year: World Championships Marathon

110m Hurdles

 * Main race this year: World Championships 110m Hurdles

400m Hurdles

 * Main race this year: World Championships 400m Hurdles

3,000m Steeplechase

 * Main race this year: World Championships 3,000m Steeplechase

High Jump

 * Main competition this year: World Championships High Jump

Long Jump

 * Main competition this year: World Championships Long Jump

Triple Jump

 * Main competition this year: World Championships Triple Jump

Discus

 * Main competition this year: World Championships Discus Throw

Shot Put

 * Main competition this year: World Championships Shot Put

Javelin (old design)

 * Main competition this year: World Championships Javelin Throw

Pole Vault

 * Main competition this year: World Championships Pole Vault

Decathlon

 * Main competition this year: World Championships Decathlon

100 metres

 * Main race this year: World Championships 100 metres

200 metres

 * Main race this year: World Championships 200 metres

400 metres

 * Main race this year: World Championships 400 metres

800 metres

 * Main race this year: World Championships 800 metres

1,500 metres

 * Main race this year: World Championships 1,500 metres

3,000 metres

 * Main race this year: World Championships 3,000 metres

Marathon

 * Main race this year: World Championships Marathon

100m Hurdles

 * Main race this year: World Championships 100m Hurdles

400m Hurdles

 * Main race this year: World Championships 400m Hurdles

High Jump

 * Main competition this year: World Championships High Jump

Long Jump

 * Main competition this year: World Championships Long Jump

Discus

 * Main competition this year: World Championships Discus Throw

Shot Put

 * Main competition this year: World Championships Shot Put

Javelin (old design)

 * Main competition this year: World Championships Javelin Throw

Heptathlon

 * Main competition this year: World Championships Heptathlon

Births

 * January 4 — Laura Douglas, Welsh hammer thrower
 * January 7 — Marc Burns, Trinidad and Tobago athlete
 * January 7 — Stéphanie Falzon, French hammer thrower
 * January 11 — Cui Zhide, Chinese race walker
 * January 16 — Trevell Quinley, American long jumper
 * January 26 — Arturo Casado, Spanish middle distance runner
 * January 28 — Chiara Rosa, Italian shot putter
 * February 1 — Alice Timbilili, Kenyan distance runner
 * February 2 — Athanasia Perra, Greek triple jumper
 * March 10 — Yelena Bolsun, Russian sprinter
 * March 14 — Jiang Qiuyan, Chinese race walker
 * March 21 — Martina Hrašnová, Slovak hammer thrower
 * March 21 — Jussi Heikkilä, Finnish hurdler
 * March 22 — André Pollmächer, German long-distance runner
 * March 23 — Mo Farah, Somali-British distance runner
 * March 28 — Jurica Grabušić, Croatian hurdler
 * April 25 — Nick Willis, New Zealand middle distance runner
 * May 5 — Mabel Gay, Cuban triple jumper
 * June 4 — Satoshi Osaki, Japanese long-distance runner
 * July 12 — Yarelis Barrios, Cuban discus thrower
 * July 18 — Mikk Pahapill, Estonian decathlete
 * July 20 — Ignisious Gaisah, Ghanaian athlete
 * August 2 — Zuzana Malíková, Slovak race walker
 * August 4 — Fábio Gomes da Silva, Brazilian pole vaulter
 * September 2 — Tatyana Kozlova, Russian race walker
 * September 11 — Vivian Cheruiyot, Kenyan distance runner
 * September 14 — Mestawet Tufa, Ethiopian distance runner
 * October 2 — Michael Kipyego, Kenyan runner
 * October 5 — Hamid Ezzine, Moroccan long-distance runner
 * October 6 — Leonid Andreev, Uzbekistani decathlete and pole vaulter
 * October 8 — Mihkel Kukk, Estonian javelin thrower
 * October 10 — Dong Jimin, Chinese race walker
 * October 22 — Mika Vasara, Finnish shot putter
 * October 22 — Li Zhuhong, Chinese long-distance runner
 * November 19 — Meseret Defar, Ethiopian distance runner
 * December 2 — Yelena Priyma, Russian hammer thrower
 * December 6 — Urszula Piwnicka, Polish javelin thrower
 * December 8 — Aliaksandr Kazulka, Belarusian hammer thrower
 * December 9 — Diana Pickler, American heptathlete
 * December 13 — Janeth Jepkosgei, Kenyan middle distance runner
 * December 22 — Viola Kibiwot, Kenyan middle distance runner
 * December 27 — Tomo Morimoto, Japanese long-distance runner

Deaths

 * January 21 — Antonio Siddi (59), Italian athlete (b. 1923)
 * January 24 — Juan Carlos Zabala (71), Argentine athlete (b. 1911)
 * February 14 — Lina Radke (79), German athlete (b. 1903)
 * September 12 — Sabin Carr (79), American pole vaulter (b. 1904)