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Golden League may add Eugene meet to schedule
By The Associated Press
Wednesday, January 07, 2009 | No comments posted.
LONDON — The elite Golden League series may double to 12 meets in 2010, taking the track and field circuit outside Europe with possible events in the United States, Middle East and China.
The International Association of Athletics Federations is considering the expanded format, which could include meets in Eugene, Doha, Qatar, and Beijing. European meets in London, Lausanne, Switzerland, and Stockholm, Sweden, could also join the list.
The IAAF advisory board, headed by IAAF president Lamine Diack, will meet in the first week of February to review proposals for private funding of the circuit. The IAAF Council, the federation’s decision-making body, will meet in Berlin on March 21-22 to consider final approval for the project.
The IAAF would negotiate over the summer with individual meets to decide which would be part of the new circuit. There is no guarantee that meets in the current Golden League would be included.
The Golden League has meets in Berlin; Brussels, Belgium; Oslo, Norway; Paris; Rome; and Zurich, Switzerland. The series offers a $1 million jackpot for athletes who win their designated event at all six meets.
In the United States, the sport has suffered from doping scandals and a lack of television coverage. However, the annual Prefontaine Classic in Eugene attracts many of the top stars and would be a top contender for Golden League status.
Beijing’s “Bird’s Nest” stadium, which hosted the track and field events at the 2008 Olympics, likely would be considered for an Asian meet. Shanghai also could be in the running.
In the Gulf, Doha would be a leading choice since it already hosts an annual Super Grand Prix meet.
Wilfried Meert, organizer of Brussels’ Van Damme meet, raised questions about the expansion plans.
“If you see how little television time major broadcasters give to athletics for these meets, if you have six now, what will they do with 12, including four on other continents in different time zones?” Meert said. “That is the key question. The weak point of the Golden League is that it is not shown enough on the major networks.”
The International Association of Athletics Federations is considering the expanded format, which could include meets in Eugene, Doha, Qatar, and Beijing. European meets in London, Lausanne, Switzerland, and Stockholm, Sweden, could also join the list.
The IAAF advisory board, headed by IAAF president Lamine Diack, will meet in the first week of February to review proposals for private funding of the circuit. The IAAF Council, the federation’s decision-making body, will meet in Berlin on March 21-22 to consider final approval for the project.
The IAAF would negotiate over the summer with individual meets to decide which would be part of the new circuit. There is no guarantee that meets in the current Golden League would be included.
The Golden League has meets in Berlin; Brussels, Belgium; Oslo, Norway; Paris; Rome; and Zurich, Switzerland. The series offers a $1 million jackpot for athletes who win their designated event at all six meets.
In the United States, the sport has suffered from doping scandals and a lack of television coverage. However, the annual Prefontaine Classic in Eugene attracts many of the top stars and would be a top contender for Golden League status.
Beijing’s “Bird’s Nest” stadium, which hosted the track and field events at the 2008 Olympics, likely would be considered for an Asian meet. Shanghai also could be in the running.
In the Gulf, Doha would be a leading choice since it already hosts an annual Super Grand Prix meet.
Wilfried Meert, organizer of Brussels’ Van Damme meet, raised questions about the expansion plans.
“If you see how little television time major broadcasters give to athletics for these meets, if you have six now, what will they do with 12, including four on other continents in different time zones?” Meert said. “That is the key question. The weak point of the Golden League is that it is not shown enough on the major networks.”
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