IAAF fixes Calendar at 42 Outdoor Meetings for 1999 - Wednesday night fixed for all Golden League Meetings
29 October 1998 - Granada - Spain - At a Press Conference for the IAAF World Calendar Conference in Granada, IAAF President Primo Nebiolo announced the most important innovations of the 1999 International Athletics Calendar.
There will be a total of 42 international outdoor meetings sanctioned by the IAAF in 1999 (see below for dates) but the IAAF Council must approve the details (including status) at its next meeting on November 19-20 in Monaco.
Although the highlight of the year will be the 7th IAAF World Championships in Athletics, which takes place in Seville on August 20-29, there are a number of other significant events including the World Indoor Championships in Maebashi, Japan (5 March) and the World Cross Country Championships in Belfast (27/28 March). The latter event will be a contribution by the IAAF to the ongoing Peace Process by showing how athletics can help bring people together in a spirit of goodwill and friendship.
Following the successful introduction of the Golden League in 1998, which captured the publics attention with its $1 million Jackpot, the IAAF will introduce an important innovation next season. In 1999 all Golden League Meetings will take place on Wednesday nights - something which will strengthen the series especially as a TV spectacle.
The complete Golden League timetable is:
June 30 - Oslo, 7 July - Rome, 4 August - Monaco, 11 August - Zurich, 1 September - Brussels and 8 September - Berlin. Paris is on standby and will take place on July 21, either as a Grand Prix or Golden League event.
The 1999 Golden League disciplines are:
Men
200m, 800m, 3000 m steeplechase, 110m hurdles, Long Jump, Pole Vault and Javelin
Women
200m, 800m, 3000m, 400m hurdles, High Jump
Only athletes who have competed in all Golden League Meetings, the Final and, if selected, the IAAF World Championships in Athletics, will be eligible for the Golden League Jackpot.
In a special ceremony later this evening the IAAF will present its Silver Order of Merit to three men who have demonstrated their service to the sport: Hanji Aoki (JPN) IAAF Vice President and President of the Japanese Athletic Association, Fermin Cacho (ESP) the 1992 Olympic Champion at 1500m and silver medallist at the 1996 Olympics and 1997 World Championships and Wilfried Meert (BEL), Meeting Director of the Memorial Van Damme in Brussels - a key component of the IAAF Golden League.
FEBRUARY | ||
Sat 20 | Sydney Track Classic | Sydney, AUS |
Thu 25 | Melbourne Track Classic | Melbourne, AUS |
MARCH | ||
Fri 26 | Engen Grand Prix II | Cape Town, RSA |
APRIL | ||
Sat 03 | Vodacom All Africa Invitational | Johannesburg, RSA |
MAY | ||
Sun 02 | Grand Prix Brasil de Atletismo | Rio de Janeiro, BRA |
Sat 08 | Meeting du Conseil Général | Fort de France,La Martinique, FRA |
Sat 08 | IAAF Japan Grand Prix in Osaka 99 | Osaka, JPN |
Thu 13 | Qatar International Athletic Meet | Doha, QAT |
Sun 16 | adidas Oregon Track Classic | Portland, USA |
Sat 22 | Jamaica Invitational Games | Kingston, JAM |
Sun 23 | US Open | Tbd, USA |
Fri 28 | 16 Gran Premio Diputacion | Seville, ESP |
Sun 30 | Prefontaine Classic | Eugene, USA |
Sun 30 | Adriaan Paulen Memorial | Hengelo, NED |
JUNE | ||
Sun 06 | LG Athletics | Stuttgart, GER |
Tue 08 | Slovnaft 99 | Bratislava, SVK |
Thu 10 | Ericsson GP II | Helsinki, FIN |
Fri 11 | Live 99 | Nürnberg, GER |
Sun 13 | Meeting Vittel du Pas de Calais | Lille, FRA |
Tue 15 | Notturna di Milano | Milan, ITA |
Wed 16 | Tsiklitiria | Athens, GRE |
Thu 24 | Meeting di Atletica Leggera | Turin, ITA |
Sun 27 | British Grand Prix II (status tbc) | Gateshead, GBR |
Wed 30 | Bislett Games | Oslo, NOR |
JULY | ||
Fri 02 | Athletissima | Lausanne, SUI |
Sat 03 | International Meeting | Budapest, HUN |
Sat 03 | Meeting de Saint Denis | St Denis, FRA |
Mon 05 | Zagreb 99 | Zagreb, CRO |
Wed 07 | Golden Gala | Rome, ITA |
Sat 17 | Nikaïa '99 | Nice, FRA |
Wed 21 | Meeting Gaz de France | Paris, FRA |
Mon 26 | Zipfer Gugl Grand Prix II | Linz, AUT |
Thu 29 | Meeting Ciutat de Barcelona | Barcelona, ESP |
Fri 30 | DN Galan | Stockholm, SWE |
AUGUST | ||
Wed 04 | Herculis | Monte Carlo, MON |
Sat 07 | British Grand Prix (status tbc) | Sheffield, GBR |
Sun 08 | Weltklasse in Köln | Cologne, GER |
Wed 11 | Weltklasse Zürich | Zürich, SUI |
SEPTEMBER | ||
Wed 01 | Memorial Van Damme | Brussels, BEL |
Sun 05 | Rieti 99 | Rieti, ITA |
Wed 08 | ISTAF '99 | Berlin, GER |
Sat 11 (tbc) | IAAF Golden League/Grand Prix Final | Munich, GER |
Wed 15 (tbc) | `99 International Super Track & Field Meet | Tokyo, JPN |
Sun 19 | ITC International | New Delhi, IND |