Goodwill Games

For Release: January 21, 2000

Goodwill Games Announces 280 Confirmed Competitors for Inaugural Winter Goodwill Games

Officials have confirmed the participation of 280 of the world’s best athletes for the inaugural Winter Goodwill Games, scheduled for February 17-20, 2000 in Lake Placid, NY (Opening Celebration on the 16^th). Plans are nearing completion for the event, with the confirmation of the majority of the anticipated competitors.

"Many of these athletes are ranked at the top of their World Cup standings this season," said Vice President of Sports, David Raith. "These invited athletes have earned their spot in the first-ever Winter Goodwill Games. We’re looking forward to hosting them in Lake Placid."

Games officials are pleased with the results so far. From the dominant luge athletes of Georg Hackl and Marcus Prock to the powerful, yet graceful, artistry of Oksana Baiul and Brian Boitano to Skeleton World Cup Champion Jimmy Shea, the world’s best winter athletes are heeding the call of this inaugural event and heading to Lake Placid.

Crews are currently icing the new bobsled/luge/skeleton track in preparation for the Winter Goodwill Games. The track measures nine-tenths of a mile and features more than 20 curves. It is predicted to be one of the fastest in the world, where athletes could reach speeds in excess of 90 mph. The facility, which replaces the separate bobsled and luge tracks used for the 1980 Olympic Winter Games, would not have been possible without the support of the New York State Government and Governor George E. Pataki.

The Winter Goodwill Games, to be held February 17-20^th, 2000, in Lake Placid, N.Y., will feature 11 winter sports: alpine skiing, bobsled, cross-country skiing, figure skating, freestyle skiing, luge, nordic combined, short track speedskating, skeleton, ski jumping and snowboarding. Turner Network Television (TNT) will broadcast 16 hours of exclusive coverage of the event. The Goodwill Games were founded by Time Warner, Inc., Vice Chairman R.E. Turner in 1986 to ensure that the world's best athletes have the opportunity to compete in world-class competition. The four previous Goodwill Games have alternated between the United States and Russia; however, future Games will be staged in countries around the world in both winter and summer formats. In addition to the Winter Goodwill Games, plans are underway for the 2001 Goodwill Games in Brisbane, Australia. TNT is the host network for both events. Goodwill Games, Inc., is a division of Turner Sports, the sports programming and production business unit of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.

You can view the list of confirmed athletes if you have the Adobe Acrobat Plug-in installed.

To install the plug-in, visit the URL:
http://www.adobe.com/prodindex/acrobat/readstep.html

CONTACTS:

Jeff Pomeroy

Goodwill Games

(404) 827-4786

Amy Phillips

Goodwill Games

(404) 827-4696

Sandy Caligiore

ORDA

(518) 523-1655

Shira Kallus

Dan Klores Associates

(212) 981-5204

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