IAAF Golden League

Last updated
IAAF Golden League
IAAF Golden League Logo.jpg
SportOutdoor track and field
Founded1998
Ceased2009
ContinentEurope

The IAAF Golden League was an annual series of outdoor track and field meetings organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). Athletes who won specific events at all of the series meetings were awarded a jackpot prize, sometimes given in gold bars, which inspired the series name. [1] The competition began with seven meetings and it lasted for twelve years as the IAAF's top tier of one-day meetings. Within the IAAF's global circuit, athletes received additional points for their performances at the Golden League for the IAAF Grand Prix (1998–2002), [2] IAAF World Outdoor Meetings (2003–2005), [3] then IAAF World Athletics Tour (2006–2009). [4] The Golden League was replaced in 2010 by the Diamond League, which marked an expansion to fourteen seasonal meetings covering all track and field events except the hammer throw. [5]

Contents

The Olympiastadion in Berlin, which hosted the ISTAF Berlin 20090818 Olympisch Stadion Berlijn.JPG
The Olympiastadion in Berlin, which hosted the ISTAF Berlin

The origins of the Golden League trace back to the Golden Four series that ran from 1993 to 1997, comprising four top level European meetings on the IAAF Grand Prix circuit (Berlin, Brussels, Oslo, and Zürich). [6] The first Golden League was held as the new top tier of the 1998 IAAF Grand Prix and consisted of the former Golden Four meetings, plus Rome, Monaco, and the 1998 IAAF Grand Prix Final in Moscow. [7] From the 1999 IAAF Golden League onwards, the Meeting Gaz de France in Paris was added and the Grand Prix Final dropped. [8] That year all meetings were scheduled for Wednesday evenings in order to improve the sport's television coverage. [9] When the IAAF Grand Prix was succeeded by the IAAF World Outdoor Meetings series in 2003, the Monaco meeting was removed from the Golden League series and made host of the IAAF World Athletics Final instead. [10] [11] The Golden League meetings remained unchanged from 2003 to 2009. [3] [4]

The series had three title sponsors in its history, starting with Ericsson in 1998, [7] TDK in 2004 and 2005, [12] then ÅF in 2008 and 2009. [13]

Editions

Meetings

#MeetingArenaCityCountry199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009
12 Bislett Games Bislett Stadium Oslo Norway
12 Weltklasse Zürich Letzigrund Zürich Switzerland
12 Memorial Van Damme King Baudouin Stadium Brussels Belgium
12 ISTAF Berlin Olympiastadion Berlin Germany
12 Golden Gala Stadio Olimpico Rome Italy
11 Meeting Areva Stade de France Paris France
5 Herculis Stade Louis II Fontvieille Monaco
1 IAAF Grand Prix Final Luzhniki Stadium Moscow Russia
The locations of the meetings from 2005 onwards IAAF Golden League venues 2003 2005-2009.svg
The locations of the meetings from 2005 onwards

Jackpot

Rules

The jackpot and its eligibility rules changed through the competition's history. Each year, a number of men's and women's events were made eligible for the Golden League jackpot if an athlete won their event at all Golden League meetings. This ranged from five to eight men's events and five to six women's events for each year. In the first two years, jackpot winners shared in a US$1 million prize. In 2000 and 2001, this was changed to 50 kg of gold bars and athletes only had to win at 5 out of 7 meetings to qualify for the jackpot. In 2003, the prize structure reverted to US$1 million for athletes winning at all the meets only, and a new stipulation was that athletes also had to compete at the IAAF World Athletics Final. [12]

From 2006 onwards, the jackpot events were set to five men's events and five women's events, ensuring gender equality. [36] The award structure was also changed in 2006 so that athletes who won any five of the six events shared in a purse of US$250,000, while the remaining US$750,000 would be divided among athletes who won all six meetings. This was to a response to the fact that only four athletes shared in the jackpot in the three previous seasons. [37] [38] From 2007 onwards, the jackpot was again only shared amongst athletes who won at all six meetings. [39]

Hurdles at the Bislett Games, one of the Golden League meets Hurdles Bislett Games 2008.jpg
Hurdles at the Bislett Games, one of the Golden League meets

Events

  Jackpot event with no winner
  Jackpot event with winner
Men
Event 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 TotalWinners
100 m Flag of the United States.svg Greene Flag of Jamaica.svg Powell 102
200 m 2-
400 m Flag of the United States.svg Wariner 42
800 m Flag of Denmark.svg Kipketer Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Bucher 52
1500 m/Mile Flag of Morocco.svg El Guerrouj Flag of Morocco.svg El Guerrouj Flag of Morocco.svg El Guerrouj Flag of Morocco.svg El Guerrouj 94
3000 m/5000 m Flag of Ethiopia.svg Bekele [40] Flag of Ethiopia.svg Bekele 62
5000 m/10,000 m Flag of Ethiopia.svg Gebrselassie 11
110 m hurdles Flag of the United States.svg Johnson 61
400 m hurdles Flag of the Dominican Republic.svg Sánchez 51
3000 m s'chase 2-
High jump 2-
Pole vault 5-
Long jump Flag of Panama.svg Saladino [40] 41
Triple jump Flag of Sweden.svg Olsson 41
Shot put 1-
Discus throw 1-
Javelin throw 8-
Total77786666656575
Winners21232-1-4--116
Women
Event 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 TotalWinners
100 m Flag of the United States.svg Jones Flag of the United States.svg Jones Flag of the United States.svg Jones 103
200 m 2-
400 m Flag of Mexico.svg Guevara Flag of the Bahamas.svg Williams Flag of the United States.svg Richards Flag of the United States.svg Richards Flag of the United States.svg Richards 65
800 m Flag of Mozambique.svg Mutola Flag of Kenya.svg Jelimo 52
1500 m/Mile Flag of Romania.svg Szekely 61
3000 m/5000 m Flag of Romania.svg Szabó Flag of Russia.svg Yegorova Flag of Ethiopia.svg Dibaba [40] 63
5000 m/10,000 m --
100 m hurdles 8-
400 m hurdles 4-
3000 m s'chase --
High jump 8-
Pole vault Flag of Russia.svg Isinbayeva Flag of Russia.svg Isinbayeva 22
Long jump Flag of Russia.svg Kotova 11
Triple jump Flag of Russia.svg Lebedeva 21
Shot put --
Discus throw --
Javelin throw Flag of Norway.svg Hattestad 31
Total55566665554563
Winners11232111221219

Winners

YearWinnersNationsEvent(s)Prize
1998 ( details ) Hicham El Guerrouj (1)Flag of Morocco.svg  Morocco 1500 metres/mile $333,333
Haile Gebrselassie Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Ethiopia 5000 metres/10,000 metres
Marion Jones Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States 100 metres
1999 ( details ) Wilson Kipketer Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark 800 metres $500,000
Gabriela Szabo Flag of Romania.svg  Romania 3000 metres/5000 metres
2000 ( details ) Hicham El Guerrouj (2)Flag of Morocco.svg  Morocco 1500 metres/mile12.5 kg gold bar
Maurice Greene Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States 100 metres
Trine Hattestad Flag of Norway.svg  Norway Javelin throw
Tatyana Kotova Flag of Russia.svg  Russia Long jump
2001 ( details ) André Bucher Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Switzerland 800 metres 8.33 kg Gold Bar
Hicham El Guerrouj (3)Flag of Morocco.svg  Morocco 1500 metres/mile/2000 metres
Allen Johnson Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States 110 metres hurdles
Marion Jones (2)Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States 100 metres
Violeta Szekely Flag of Romania.svg  Romania 1500 metres
Olga Yegorova Flag of Russia.svg  Russia 3000 metres/5000 metres
2002 ( details ) Hicham El Guerrouj (4)Flag of Morocco.svg  Morocco 1500 metres 12.5 kg Gold Bar
Ana Guevara Flag of Mexico.svg  Mexico 400 metres
Marion Jones (3)Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States 100 metres
Félix Sánchez Flag of the Dominican Republic.svg  Dominican Republic 400 metres hurdles
2003 ( details ) Maria Mutola Flag of Mozambique.svg  Mozambique 800 metres $1,000,000
2004 ( details ) Christian Olsson Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden Triple jump $500,000
Tonique Williams-Darling Flag of the Bahamas.svg  Bahamas 400 metres
2005 ( details ) Tatyana Lebedeva Flag of Russia.svg  Russia Triple jump $1,000,000
2006 ( details ) Asafa Powell Flag of Jamaica.svg  Jamaica 100 metres $249,999*
Jeremy Wariner Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States 400 metres
Sanya Richards Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States 400 metres
Kenenisa Bekele Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Ethiopia 5000 metres $83,333*
Tirunesh Dibaba Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Ethiopia 5000 metres
Irving Saladino Flag of Panama.svg  Panama Long jump
2007 ( details ) Yelena Isinbayeva Flag of Russia.svg  Russia Pole vault $500,000
Sanya Richards (2)Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States 400 metres
2008 ( details Pamela Jelimo Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya 800 metres $1,000,000
2009 ( details ) Sanya Richards (3)Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States 400 metres $333,333
Yelena Isinbayeva (2)Flag of Russia.svg  Russia Pole vault
Kenenisa Bekele (2)Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Ethiopia 3000 metres/5000 metres

Events by year

YearMenWomenTotalRef.
1998 200 metres 200 metres 13 [41]
800 metres 800 metres
5000 metres 3000 metres
110 metres hurdles 400 metres hurdles
3000 metres steeplechase
long jump high jump
pole vault
javelin throw
1999 200 metres 200 metres 13 [41] [42]
800 metres 800 metres
5000 metres 3000 metres
110 metres hurdles 400 metres hurdles
3000 metres steeplechase high jump
long jump
pole vault
javelin throw
2000 100 metres 100 metres 12 [43]
1500 metres 1500 metres
3000 metres
400 metres hurdles 100 metres hurdles
high jump long jump
pole vault
shot put javelin throw
2001 100 metres 100 metres 14 [44]
800 metres 800 metres
1500 metres 1500 metres
3000 metres 3000 metres
3000 metres steeplechase
110 metres hurdles 400 metres hurdles
long jump high jump
javelin throw
2002 100 metres 100 metres 12 [45]
400 metres
1500 metres 1500 metres
3000 metres/5000 metres 3000 metres/5000 metres
400 metres hurdles 100 metres hurdles
pole vault
triple jump javelin throw
2003 100 metres 100 metres 12
800 metres 800 metres
3000 metres/5000 metres 1500 metres
110 metres hurdles 400 metres hurdles
pole vault triple jump
high jump
javelin throw
2004 200 metres 100 metres 12
800 metres 400 metres
1500 metres 1500 metres
3000 metres/5000 metres
400 metres hurdles 100 metres hurdles
triple jump high jump
discus throw
2005 100 metres 100 metres 11
800 metres 800 metres
1500 metres/1 mile 3000 metres/5000 metres
110 metres hurdles 400 metres hurdles
high jump triple jump
javelin throw
2006 100 metres 100 metres 10
400 metres 400 metres
5000 metres 5000 metres
100 metres hurdles
long jump high jump
javelin throw
2007 100 metres 100 metres 10
1500 metres / Mile 400 metres
110 metres hurdles 100 metres hurdles
triple jump high jump
pole vault
javelin throw
2008 100 metres 200 metres 11
400 metres
1500 metres 800 metres
400 metres hurdles 100 metres hurdles
long jump high jump
javelin throw
2009 100 metres 100 metres 10
400 metres 400 metres
3000 metres/5000 metres
110 metres hurdles 100 metres hurdles
high jump
pole vault
javelin throw

References

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  2. 1 2 1998 Grand Prix Standings. IAAF. Retrieved 2019-09-01.
  3. 1 2 3 Grand Prix Schedule 2003. IAAF. Retrieved 2019-09-01.
  4. 1 2 3 World Athletics Tour Results 2009. IAAF. Retrieved 2019-09-01.
  5. "IAAF to launch global Diamond League of 1 Day Meetings". IAAF. 2009-03-02. Retrieved 2009-03-02.
  6. Rowbottom, Mike (1997-11-22). Athletics: Golden Four extended with more money and meetings. The Independent. Retrieved 2019-10-01.
  7. 1 2 IAAF Ericsson $1 million dollar jackpot for Golden League. IAAF (1998-07-08). Retrieved 2019-10-01.
  8. Paris joins Golden Few. IAAF (1999-03-04). Retrieved 2019-10-01.
  9. 42 outdoor Meetings in 1999 IAAF Calendar - All Golden League Meets on a Wednesday. IAAF (1998-10-28). Retrieved 2019-10-01.
  10. World Athletics Final – a new concept based on a tradition of quality. IAAF (2003-07-18). Retrieved 2019-10-01.
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  14. Giorgio Lo Giudice (3 May 1998). "la May madrina a Rio". La Gazzetta dello Sport, gazzetta.it. Retrieved 3 September 2009.
  15. "Prossima tappa a Roma, l'ultimo atto a Berlino il 7 September". La Gazzetta dello Sport, gazzetta.it. 30 June 1999. Retrieved 3 September 2009.
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  31. World Athletics Tour 2007. IAAF. Retrieved 2019-09-01.
  32. "Golden League Jackpot events confirmed for 2008". iaaf.org. 13 December 2007. Retrieved 3 September 2009.
  33. World Athletics Tour Results 2008. IAAF. Retrieved 2019-09-01.
  34. "ÅF Golden League Jackpot events confirmed for 2009". iaaf.org. 18 December 2008. Retrieved 3 September 2009.
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  38. Selected quotes – IAAF Golden League launch press conference, Oslo, Norway. IAAF (2006-06-01). Retrieved 2019-10-01.
  39. ‘6 out of 6’ required for $1 Million IAAF Golden League Jackpot in 2007. IAAF (2006-12-06). Retrieved 2019-10-01.
  40. 1 2 3 Won five of six events
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  42. 1999 Bislett Games Archived 2012-08-17 at the Wayback Machine . IAAF. Retrieved on 2013-11-17.
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