Macdezal wrote:
> 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
>
>
Wow .. I would think it would hurt more than help .. Seems like they are
creating a sector of "stepchild" events .. And in their scenario the 200
doesn't even rate as "second" class .. Looks as if the sport is being
further segmented .. And what it needs is to be bought together not torn
apart more .. AS for television viewership it seems to me that once you have
a competition televised you have a "captive" audience and can show what you
would like .. I wasn't aware that viewership vacillated so during a
televised meet that you completely alienate events ..
Conway Hill
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
