Hicham El Guerrouj's chase after Golden League Gold starts Friday in the Stade de France
MONTE CARLO - Monaco - On the evening of Friday, 23 June, the Stade de France in Paris Saint-Denis will host the first of the seven meetings of the IAAF Golden League 2000.
For this edition, which coincides with a late-season Olympics - the second half of September in Sydney - a number of rules have been modified so as to provide the maximum guarantees for the physical and mental well-being of the athletes. The changes are: to win the jackpot of 50 kilos of gold, athletes must win their selected event five times, rather than the seven required in 1999.
The Golden League disciplines for the 2000 season are:
Men: 100m, 1500m, 3000m or 5000m, 400m hurdles, high jump, pole vault, shot put.
Women: 100m, 1500m, 100m hurdles, long jump, javelin throw.
All of the cash prizes, including the bonus for athletes setting a new world record in the above disciplines, will be paid by the organisers in Euros (15,000 to the first place, 10,000 to second, 6,000 to third, etc; 50,000 for a world record).
The star of the Meeting Gaz de France Paris Saint-Denis, will certainly be the World Champion and World Record Holder in the 1500m, Morocco's Hicham El Guerrouj. El Guerrouj is in great form and one should not exclude the possibility that he will make an assault on his own record of 3:26:00, set in Rome on 14 July 1998.
1998 was a fantastic year for El Guerrouj, as he ended the year as a joint winner, with Haile Gebrselassie (ETH) and Marion Jones (USA) of the million dollar IAAF Golden League Jackpot. On Friday El Guerrouj will start his new treasure quest, this time for 50 kilograms of gold.
The inauguration of the IAAF Golden League will be preceded by a press conference given by IAAF President Lamine Diack, on Friday, at 1500 hrs in the Auditorium of the Stade de France. On this occasion, there will be the presentation of the 'IAAF World Ranking System', a scientific method of evaluating the performances in athletics that could have a major influence on the organisation of athletics competition in the future. All journalists accredited for the Meeting Gaz de France Paris Saint-Denis - IAAF Golden League, are invited to attend this press conference. Access to the Auditorium is by Gate U of the Stade de France. Journalists will be required to show their accreditation. Refreshments will be served after the press conference.
For further information, please contact:
IAAF Media and Public Relations Department
Tel: +377 93 10 88 68 - Fax: +377 93 25 53 84
World Wide Web : www.iaaf.org ; e-mail : media.pr@iaaf.org
International Amateur Athletic Federation
IAAF - 17, rue Princesse Florestine - MC 98000 - Monaco
For this edition, which coincides with a late-season Olympics - the second half of September in Sydney - a number of rules have been modified so as to provide the maximum guarantees for the physical and mental well-being of the athletes. The changes are: to win the jackpot of 50 kilos of gold, athletes must win their selected event five times, rather than the seven required in 1999.
The Golden League disciplines for the 2000 season are:
Men: 100m, 1500m, 3000m or 5000m, 400m hurdles, high jump, pole vault, shot put.
Women: 100m, 1500m, 100m hurdles, long jump, javelin throw.
All of the cash prizes, including the bonus for athletes setting a new world record in the above disciplines, will be paid by the organisers in Euros (15,000 to the first place, 10,000 to second, 6,000 to third, etc; 50,000 for a world record).
The star of the Meeting Gaz de France Paris Saint-Denis, will certainly be the World Champion and World Record Holder in the 1500m, Morocco's Hicham El Guerrouj. El Guerrouj is in great form and one should not exclude the possibility that he will make an assault on his own record of 3:26:00, set in Rome on 14 July 1998.
1998 was a fantastic year for El Guerrouj, as he ended the year as a joint winner, with Haile Gebrselassie (ETH) and Marion Jones (USA) of the million dollar IAAF Golden League Jackpot. On Friday El Guerrouj will start his new treasure quest, this time for 50 kilograms of gold.
The inauguration of the IAAF Golden League will be preceded by a press conference given by IAAF President Lamine Diack, on Friday, at 1500 hrs in the Auditorium of the Stade de France. On this occasion, there will be the presentation of the 'IAAF World Ranking System', a scientific method of evaluating the performances in athletics that could have a major influence on the organisation of athletics competition in the future. All journalists accredited for the Meeting Gaz de France Paris Saint-Denis - IAAF Golden League, are invited to attend this press conference. Access to the Auditorium is by Gate U of the Stade de France. Journalists will be required to show their accreditation. Refreshments will be served after the press conference.
For further information, please contact:
IAAF Media and Public Relations Department
Tel: +377 93 10 88 68 - Fax: +377 93 25 53 84
World Wide Web : www.iaaf.org ; e-mail : media.pr@iaaf.org
International Amateur Athletic Federation
IAAF - 17, rue Princesse Florestine - MC 98000 - Monaco