The five-day competition was preceded by the 2011 World Youth Championships in Athletics and a number of athletes participated at both meetings. Bence Pásztor of Hungary set a world youth best of 84.41 metres to win the boy's hammer throw, while Yuriy Kushniruk of Ukraine set a European youth best in the javelin throw (his mark of 83.42 m was second only to Argentina's Braian Toledo).