Goodwill Games

04/10/2001

Goodwill Games Swimming Prize Money Bonanza

Swimmers competing at the 2001 Goodwill Games stand to share in a whopping prize purse of $508,000 (USD) it was revealed today.

The announcement turns up the heat on what is set to be a blistering swimming competition over six days at Brisbane's Chandler Aquatic Centre from August 29 through to September 3.

The Goodwill Games announced the prize purse during a media teleconference today featuring Australian Olympic swimming heroes Geoff Huegill, Michael Klim and Grant Hackett, along with USA swim star Josh Davis.

The world's best swimmers will be racing the clock as well as each other at the 2001 Goodwill Games, with huge cash bonuses up for grabs for world records, national records and Goodwill Games records set.

Four international teams will clash in the pool in the Games' exciting round-robin format - Australia, the United States, the European All-Stars and the World All-Stars.

Australian Swimming will select the Australian team for the Games following the World Swimming Championships at Fukuoka in Japan in July.

The 2001 Goodwill Games swimming competition will feature 92 men and 92 women competing in a total of 38 events, with 23 athletes per team.

Each men's and women's team will compete in a unique round-robin dual meet format for a total of three dual meets per team.

First and second place teams advance to the gold medal finals, while the third and fourth place teams advance to the bronze medal final.

Australian swimming star and dual Olympic medallist Geoff Huegill said he was looking forward to being a part of Team Australia at the Goodwill Games.

"I'm hoping to make the Goodwill Games team and compete again in front of my home crowd," Huegill said.

"While this new format will be something completely different for Australian spectators, I am certain the rivalry between the swimmers in the four teams will make for an action-packed competition."

The team prize money for the Goodwill Games swimming competition is $200,000 (USD) for each men's and women's team event. This includes:

$100,000 (USD) for each first place team
$50,000 (USD) for the second place team
$30,000 (USD) for the third placed team and
$20,000 (USD) for the fourth-placed team.

The remaining $108,000 (USD) of the prize purse will be divided between the 36 individual or relay event winners, with $3,000 (USD) going to the athlete or relay team with the fastest time per event by the end of the round-robin competition.

For a world record bonus prize money of $50,000 (USD) will be awarded. Any second, third, fourth and fifth all-time world bests will garner bonuses of $5,000 (USD), $4,000 (USD), $3,000 (USD) and $2,000 (USD) respectively.

A national record will attract a $2,000 (USD) bonus, with a $1,000 (USD) bonus for a Goodwill Games record.

Goodwill Games Inc President Mike Plant said the format of the swimming competition set the scene for some great contests at the Games.

"Swimming, in this unique team championship format, will prove to be one of the highlights of the 2001 Goodwill Games, " Mr Plant said.

"We look forward to a competition full of great match-ups, exhilarating performances and a spectacular opening night that will feature Team USA versus Team Australia in men's swimming."

The 38 events to be contested at the Goodwill Games are: 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle, 200m freestyle, 400m freestyle, 50m backstroke, 100m backstroke, 200m backstroke, 50m breaststroke, 100m breaststroke, 200m breaststroke, 50m butterfly, 100m butterfly, 200m butterfly, 200m individual medley, 400m individual medley, 4x100 freestyle relay, 4x100 medley relay, the team competition and the 1500m freestyle in the men's competition and the 800m freestyle in the women's competition.

Each team is allowed two entries in individual events and one entry in relay events.

Media information:
Nikki Todd, 2001 Goodwill Games Brisbane
Ph: 07 3233 2045 (direct) / Mobile: 0408 011 204
E-mail: nikki.todd@2001gwgbrisbane.com.au

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