05/03/2001
World's Fastest Men Pump Up Goodwill Games
The world's fastest men,
Maurice Greene and Ato Boldon, visited Brisbane today as part
of a whirlwind tour of Australia to promote the 2001 Goodwill
Games.
The superstar athletes - the current 100m gold
and silver Olympic and Goodwill Games medallists - breezed
into Queensland as part of a three-day tour of Brisbane, Sydney
and Melbourne.
The high-profile athletes, who both train in
Los Angeles under the tutorage of renowned coach John Smith,
will compete in the 2001 Goodwill Games later this year.
Around 1,000 people attended a special Champions
Luncheon held in Greene and Boldon's honour at the Brisbane
Convention and Exhibition Centre today.
The sprint stars gave Brisbanites an early taste
of the calibre of sporting excellence to come during the 12
days of the Games from August 29 to September 9.
Despite being best of mates off the field, Greene
and Boldon are intense rivals on the track, where Greene is
the 100m world record holder with a time of 9.79 seconds.
Billing himself as the fastest man in the world,
Greene, 26, is determined to maintain his status come the
Goodwill Games athletics meet from September 4 - 7.
Boldon, 27, who hails from Trinidad and Tobago,
also specialises in the 200m sprint, an event in which he
holds the current Goodwill Games title and Olympic bronze
medal. Boldon became an Olympian at just 18 years, when he
competed in the 100m and 200m sprints in Barcelona. He is
also the current Commonwealth Games 100m gold medallist.
2001 Goodwill Games Chairman Wayne Goss, who
hosted the luncheon with Queensland Premier Peter Beattie,
welcomed the athletes to Australia.
``It's great to have Maurice and Ato here with
us,'' Mr Goss said.
``They certainly highlight the calibre of athletes
competing across all 14 of our sports during the Goodwill
Games.
``We are looking forward to putting on the best
sporting show on earth this year and urge all Australians
to get behind us and help deliver packed stands to spur on
record-breaking performances.''
Greene and Boldon will be in Sydney on Friday
and in Melbourne on Saturday. Tickets to all Goodwill Games
sports are still available. Phone Ticketek on 133 877 or visit
www.ticketek.com
Media information:
Nikki Todd, 2001 Goodwill Games Brisbane
Ph: 07 3233 2045 (direct) / Mobile: 0408 011 204
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