Ato looks to make amends in Paris

SAINT-DENIS: A selection of the world’s finest athletes will meet tomorrow at Stade de France for the second Golden League track meet of the season.

Following the first rendezvous of the season in Oslo, Norway, last weekend, France’s national stadium welcomes US sprint star Maurice Greene, the three-time reigning 100-metre world champion, and other pedigree competitors. Among the stars will be Trinidad and Tobago’s Ato Boldon who has been having a disastrous outdoor season so far, and will be looking to make amends. However, Greene’s sprint rival Tim Montgomery — the 100-metre world record holder with a time of 9.78 seconds — is yet to confirm his participation in the event. Montgomery and his partner, the sprinter Marion Jones, recently had their first child together. The Golden League is an incentive-based competition consisting of six European track meets running from June until September. After Saint-Denis, situated on the outskirts of Paris,  the Golden League bandwagon rolls on to Rome, Berlin, Zurich and Brussels. In both male and female categories, victorious athletes can win up to euro15,000 (US$17,340), while a second-placed finisher takes home a maximum of euro12,000 (US$13,880).

In addition, should Greene set a new world record in the 100-metres for example, he would earn an extra euro50,000 (US$57,800). Should one of the many European athletes present — such as legendary Czech Republic javelin thrower Jan Zelezny — set a European record, they would claim euro10,000 (US$11,570). However, there is a downside as — according to French law — 15 per cent of all winnings are taxed. Organisers said ticket sales for tomorrow’s meeting have been steady and a crowd of around 48,000 is expected — including 15,000 children invited by one of the meeting’s sponsors. Among other big-name athletes scheduled to compete are: Olympic 5,000-metre champion Gabriela Szabo, and four-time World and double-Olympic 10,000-meter champion Haile Gebreselassie of Ethiopia. This time however, Romanian Szabo will compete in the 3,000 metres, while Gebreselassie runs in the 5,000 metres. The event is scheduled to start with the men’s 400-metre hurdles and due to end with the men’s 1,500 metres.