Freeway - IAAF-Golden league the hunt for 50 kg gold

IAAF-Golden league the hunt for 50 kg gold

On the 21 of November 1997 IAAF (International Amateur Athletic Federation) president Dr. Primo Nebiolo presented the Golden League and it was to become a huge success. In 1998, the first year that there was a Golden League there were over 300 million TV-viewers and the arenas were booked a long time before. In 1999 the numbers of TV-viewers had increased to almost 830 million viewers in 104 countries.
Every year there are seven Golden League meetings. The seven Meetings are: Gaz de France in Paris, Golden Gala in Rome, Exxon Mobil Bislett in Oslo, Weltklasse in Zürich, Herculis Zepter in Monaco, Memorial Van Damme in Brussels and ISTAF in Berlin.
The men compete in seven disciplines: 100m, 1500m, 3000/5000m, 400m hurdles, high jump, pole vault and shot put. Women compete in five disciplines: 100m, 1500m, 100m hurdles, long jump and javelin throw.

Big jackpot

If a track and field athlete win five of the seven competitions in the same Golden League discipline that athlete will win a jackpot of 50 kg gold and if others also have won at least five of seven competitions they will share the jackpot.
The IAAF Golden League has become one of the most prestigious competitions to win after the Olympics and there are many Track and Field superstars that have won the jackpot. In 1998 it was Marion Jones , Haile Gebrselassie and Hicham el Guerrouj who shared the gold. Gabriela Szabo and Wilson Kipketer took half each in 1999. In 2000 it was javelin thrower Trine Hattestad, Gail Devers in 100m hurdles, long jumper Tatyana Kotova, Hicham el Guerrouj in 1500m and sprinter Maurice Greene who shared the jackpot.
Because so many great athletes participate in the Golden League events there has been many outstanding performances, for example the world record for woman’s javelin throw, broken by Trine Hattestad from Norway in Oslo Bislett Games last summer and Hicham el Guerrouj who set the 1500 meter record and mile record in Rome

The future

Because of the success the IAAF have plans to expand the Golden League events to The United States, United Kingdom and Japan but nothing has been decided yet.
In 2001 the program looks like this: The Golden League series kicks off in Rome on June 29th, then it continues with Gaz de France in Paris on July 6th. The Golden League moves north to Oslo on July 13th , Monaco July 20th, the Weltklasse in Zürich on August 17th, Brussels August 24th and the ISTAF in Berlin on August 31st. So if you are in one of these places during the summer you can watch a first class athletics show.