Goodwill Games

03/21/2001

Goodwill Athletics on Track to Shine

QUEENSLAND Premier Peter Beattie and Brisbane Lord Mayor Jim Soorley today joined Australian athletics stars Patrick Johnson and Peter Burge to try out the surface of the new $2.25 million track at ANZ Stadium.

The new state-of-the-art track will host three major athletics events this year - the 2001 Goodwill Games in September, the World Veterans Athletics Championships in July and the Australian Track and Field Championships, due to get underway this Friday.

``The track will see ANZ Stadium play host to some of the world's greatest athletes, including Michael Johnson, Maurice Greene and Marion Jones, during four days of competition at the 2001 Goodwill Games from September 4- 7,'' Mr Beattie said.

``Australian company Balsam Pacific, which started work on the track last September, has laid a world-class Rekortan track surface.

``It's the same surface used during the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur. It is also the track that US sprinting legend Michael Johnson uses for training,'' Mr Beattie said.

The Queensland Government fully funded the construction of the new $2.25 million track, while the Brisbane City Council contributed $330,000 towards capital works at ANZ Stadium, part of its $1.355 million allocation to capital upgrades across all Goodwill Games venues.

A new scoreboard and new timing and scoring equipment has been fitted at the stadium, while more than $325,000 worth of athletics equipment, including hurdles, pole vaults and long jump pits, has been purchased for the 2001 Goodwill Games - equipment that will remain in Queensland after the Games conclude.

Premier Beattie said the new track would provide Queenslanders with the best athletics facility in Australia.

``With the track at Stadium Australia no longer in operation, this new track at ANZ is the best facility in the country and can cater for the largest athletics crowds in Australia,'' Premier Beattie said.

``Not only will the track attract world class competitors, but the equipment from the 2001 Goodwill Games will remain as an important legacy for Queensland sports lovers.''

Brisbane Lord Mayor Jim Soorley welcomed the new track.

``This is a great track for Brisbane, and the commitment by Athletics Australia to use this facility for its national championships is testament to that,'' Cr Soorley said.

``Brisbane's sporting venues will be second to none come Games-time as part of the city's commitment to promoting Brisbane as a premier host for major events.''

More than 450 of the world's top track and field athletes will compete in 44 events (22 men's and 22 women's) at the 2001 Goodwill Games.

The 2001 Goodwill Games will see more than 1300 athletes compete across 14 action-packed sports, including swimming, basketball, gymnastics and figure skating.

Media information:
Nikki Todd, 2001 Goodwill Games Brisbane
Ph: 07 3233 2045 (direct) / Mobile: 0408 011 204

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