Does anyone have any idea how the following article will affect the sport? The 200 is supposed to be GP this year but seems to be left out in the cold among other events. Could this actually hurt things more than it helps them? IAAF tinkers with Golden League .c The Associated Press MONTE CARLO, Monaco (AP) - The seven Golden League meets will have a new format next season in a move track and field organizers hope will draw larger crowds and TV audiences. Beginning in 2001, the 14 events in each meet will be divided into premium events and classic events. The winners of premium events will collect $13,350, with $6,675 going to classic event winners. There will be no change, however, in the Golden League jackpot payout. Any athlete winning five of the seven meets - in a premium or classic event - will collect the end-of-season 110 pounds of gold. ``This is a problem of the organizers of the meetings who believe that some events are more competitive, more attractive for the crowd, better for television, than others,'' IAAF spokesman Giorgio Reineri said Monday. ``They believe some events should pay more.'' ``This is not the IAAF, which believes all events are equal and the jackpot reflects that,'' Reineri added. The men's premium events will be: 100, 800, 1,500 or mile, and 3,000 or 5,000. For women they will be: 100, 800 and 3,000 or 5,000. The classic events for men will be: 110 hurdles, 3,000 steeplechase, javelin and long jump. For women: 1,500 or mile, 400 hurdles and high jump. In a meeting of race organizers on Sunday in Dakar, Senegal, the IAAF decided to maintain its current seven-meet format and venues through 2002. The only change in 2002 will be moving the Oslo, Norway, meet from July 19 to June 27. The Oslo meet will start the series. ``There is always discussion going on to add a meet to London but that was just discussion,'' Reineri said. ``There were no plans to add a USA meet to the calendar.'' AP-NY-12-18-00 1025EST DMC Welcome the task that makes you go beyond yourself.
