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(courtesy IAAF)
<<PRESS RELEASE
International Association of Athletics Federations
Association Internationale des Fédérations d'Athlétisme
'THE DIRECTOR'S CUT' - ISTAF BERLIN - 'SPORT AND ENTERTAINMENT'
9 August 2003
Berlin - After a break of just short of one month since the last Golden
League meeting in Rome, the IAAF's prestigious one-day meetings circuit is
back on track with the 62nd edition of the ISTAF Berlin. Meeting Director
Gerhard Janetsky explains why ISTAF Berlin 2003 will be something special.
"I believe the 2003 edition of the ISTAF will be one of the best ever if not
the best. For my second year as meet director, I must say that I have been
lucky to have an excellent team working with me with, in particular, the
appointment of Florian Schwarthoff as Head of Sports resulting in an
excellent co-operation.
"Florian has worked hard to put together events in which the outcome can
result in a surprise. Of course we need star names for it to be a good
meeting but what we really are looking forward to are great duels with
several athletes on the start list being able to win their event.
"We also want ISTAF to become a meeting for families. We have decided to
move the meeting from Friday night to Sunday afternoon because we wanted to
give younger fans a chance to attend.
"Our 'Family Programme' is such that we have now a whole new class of
spectators attending the meeting. For the first time in the meeting history
there will be live musical performances in the stadium and interactive
activities for youngsters prior to the meeting.
"Out of the 25.000 tickets available, 16.000 have already been sold and we
are pretty much confident that there won't be many empty seats in the Jahn
Park, Sunday afternoon.
"Personally, the one race I will most look forward to tomorrow is the
women's 100m. Chandra Sturrup has been fantastic so far, winning three
Golden League races but I think Kelli White is coming back to her best
shape. On paper Kelli, whose boyfriend Boris Henry is German and therefore
will be supported by the crowd, is capable of stopping Chandra's winning
streak. If she does, she would certainly leave her mark in the history of
the meeting.
"Also I am very proud of the 4x100m relay race which we have put together.
It is an event very rarely contested in Golden League meetings and I think
it could be the race which will give the ISTAF its little personal note.
What better end to a Golden League meeting than a relay race with a strong
German team and two American teams in front of a crowd doing the Mexican
wave?">>
fyi--the "mexican wave" is what Americans would just call the wave. No idea how the Mexican part got in there.
<<PRESS RELEASE
International Association of Athletics Federations
Association Internationale des Fédérations d'Athlétisme
'THE DIRECTOR'S CUT' - ISTAF BERLIN - 'SPORT AND ENTERTAINMENT'
9 August 2003
Berlin - After a break of just short of one month since the last Golden
League meeting in Rome, the IAAF's prestigious one-day meetings circuit is
back on track with the 62nd edition of the ISTAF Berlin. Meeting Director
Gerhard Janetsky explains why ISTAF Berlin 2003 will be something special.
"I believe the 2003 edition of the ISTAF will be one of the best ever if not
the best. For my second year as meet director, I must say that I have been
lucky to have an excellent team working with me with, in particular, the
appointment of Florian Schwarthoff as Head of Sports resulting in an
excellent co-operation.
"Florian has worked hard to put together events in which the outcome can
result in a surprise. Of course we need star names for it to be a good
meeting but what we really are looking forward to are great duels with
several athletes on the start list being able to win their event.
"We also want ISTAF to become a meeting for families. We have decided to
move the meeting from Friday night to Sunday afternoon because we wanted to
give younger fans a chance to attend.
"Our 'Family Programme' is such that we have now a whole new class of
spectators attending the meeting. For the first time in the meeting history
there will be live musical performances in the stadium and interactive
activities for youngsters prior to the meeting.
"Out of the 25.000 tickets available, 16.000 have already been sold and we
are pretty much confident that there won't be many empty seats in the Jahn
Park, Sunday afternoon.
"Personally, the one race I will most look forward to tomorrow is the
women's 100m. Chandra Sturrup has been fantastic so far, winning three
Golden League races but I think Kelli White is coming back to her best
shape. On paper Kelli, whose boyfriend Boris Henry is German and therefore
will be supported by the crowd, is capable of stopping Chandra's winning
streak. If she does, she would certainly leave her mark in the history of
the meeting.
"Also I am very proud of the 4x100m relay race which we have put together.
It is an event very rarely contested in Golden League meetings and I think
it could be the race which will give the ISTAF its little personal note.
What better end to a Golden League meeting than a relay race with a strong
German team and two American teams in front of a crowd doing the Mexican
wave?">>
fyi--the "mexican wave" is what Americans would just call the wave. No idea how the Mexican part got in there.
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