05/31/2001

70 Sydney 2000 Olympic Track and Field Medalists from 27 Countries Confirmed for 2001 Goodwill Games in Brisbane, Australia

Michael Johnson, Marion Jones, Maurice Greene and Ato Boldon, Heike Drechsler, Noah Ngeny, Stacy Dragila and Tatiana Grigorieva, Erki Nool and Roman Sebrle headline the first group of international Track and Field 2000 Olympic individual medalists representing 27 countries who have committed to participate in the 2001 Goodwill Games in Brisbane, Australia, officials announced today. The men's and women's athletic events will be contested Tuesday, Sept. 4, through Friday, Sept. 7, 2001 and will be broadcast in the United States on Turner Network Television (TNT). Athletes will compete at the recently renovated ANZ stadium in the heart of Brisbane, Australia.

The number of confirmed world-class athletes slated to participate at the Goodwill Games is based on a May 31, 2001 date and that number will continually grow leading up to the Games. In addition, the host country, Australia, and the Games originator, the United States, will each receive one automatic entry per track and field event. The U.S. will determine their automatic entry at the U.S. Championships from June 21-24, 2001.

The men's and women's athletics competition will consist of 44 events - 22 men's and 22 women's events. The finals-only format includes the 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, mile, 3000m steeplechase, 5000m, 10,000m, 110m hurdles, 400m hurdles, 4x100m relay, 4x400m relay, high jump, long jump, pole vault, 20km walk, triple jump, discus, shot put, hammer, javelin, decathlon and heptathlon. In all events, a first place prize of $20,000 (USD) will be awarded. As a new event to international track and field, women's steeplechase is deemed a non-championship event and will receive a first place prize purse of $4,000 (USD).

Additional bonuses will also be extended for various records and personal bests. For a world record in any championship event, a $100,000 (USD) bonus will be given. A 2001 world-best time or mark will garner a $7,500 (USD) bonus. For any national record, a $5,000 (USD) bonus will be given, and, for a Goodwill Games record, a $2,000 (USD) bonus will be given. Any personal-best record will be awarded $1,000 (USD). As a non-championship event, the only bonus in the women's steeplechase will be $25,000 (USD) for a world record. All bonus money is non-wind-aided and non-cumulative.

"We are extremely pleased that many of the best in the sport of track and field will be traveling to Brisbane from around the world to compete in the 2001 Goodwill Games," said Mike Plant, President of the Goodwill Games. "The top athletes competing in the finals-only format with large performance incentives at stake will prove to be one of the highlights of the Games."

The Goodwill Games, Aug. 29-Sept. 9, in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, will feature 14 sports: athletics, basketball, beach volleyball, boxing, cycling (track), diving, figure skating, gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, swimming, trampoline, triathlon, weightlifting and surf lifesaving. The Goodwill Games were founded by AOL Time Warner 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 five previous Goodwill Games have alternated between the United States and Russia. However, future Goodwill Games will be staged in countries around the world in both winter and summer formats. TNT is the host network for the Goodwill Games. Nine Network Australia will broadcast the 2001 Goodwill Games locally. Goodwill Games, Inc. is a division of Turner Sports, the sports programming and production business unit of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.

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