06/15/2001

Goodwill Games Athletes Participate In Weekly Chats on CNNSI.com
Olympic and Goodwill Games Medalists to Participate in Online Blitz

Nine participating Goodwill Games athletes will conduct online chats to promote the 2001 Goodwill Games with sister AOL Time Warner company CNNSI.com. CNNSI.com will kick off the chat sessions Monday, June 18, at 1 p.m. (EDT) with Olympic Gold Medalist Stacy Dragila, the current indoor and outdoor world record holder in women's pole vault. The chats will take place from June 18 until the start of the Games on Aug. 29. Other athletes participating in the online chats are Maurice Greene, Misty Hyman, Michael Johnson, Marion Jones, Laura Wilkinson, Blaine Wilson and a NBA player from Team USA.

Maurice Greene, the fastest man in the world after his gold medal win in the 100m dash at the Sydney Olympics, will be conducting a chat on CNNSI.com to discuss his upcoming participation in the Games. Misty Hyman, who beat Australian favorite Susie O'Neil to win Olympic gold in the 200m butterfly, will discuss her return to Australia during her chat. Five-time Goodwill Games gold medalist and five-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Johnson will be featured in a chat during the week the Games begin, to discuss what will be the final competitive race of his career when he runs in the 4x400m relay on Sept. 4.

Five-time Olympic medalist and defending Goodwill Games champion Marion Jones will discuss her return to Australia. A member of basketball's Team USA will discuss their participation as the first NBA players to compete in the Goodwill Games. Laura Wilkinson, Goodwill Games and Olympic gold medalist in platform diving, will discuss how her life has changed since winning the Gold medal in Sydney as well as her thoughts on going back to Australia to compete. Five-time U.S. national Champion, two-time Olympian and Goodwill Games Medalist, gymnast Blaine Wilson will be participating in a chat on June 25 to promote his participation in the Goodwill Games and in GymJam men's national qualifier at U.C.S.B. on June 30.

The 2001 Goodwill Games, scheduled for Aug. 29-Sept. 9 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, will showcase the world's best athletes competing in 14 sports. The competitors, including numerous Olympic, World and Goodwill Games champions, will be vying for millions in prize money and world record/performance incentives. TNT (Turner Network Television) and Nine Network Australia are the Games' host networks. Turner Sports is the host broadcaster and is coordinating all aspects of the production.

Goodwill Games, Inc. is a division of Turner Sports, the sports programming and production unit of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.

To view these chats or submit a question in advance, users may visit http://cnnsi.com/your_turn/.

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