“70 for 70” in Berlin – IAAF Golden League – It is our aim to sign as many World champions from Osaka as possible”, said Janetzky

Berlin, Germany – Two years prior to the German capital staging the 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics (2009), meeting organisers of this year’s DKB ISTAF meeting on 16 September 2007 hope that they will achieve the second biggest spectator turnout in the long history of their event which is one of the six meetings of the IAAF Golden League 2007.

70,000, the target

“We will celebrate 70 years of the ISTAF this year. And the motto will be 70 for 70”, explained the meeting director Gerhard Janetzky yesterday. He was speaking at a press conference in Berlin at which Jonathan Edwards, now an IAAF Ambassador but also the retired holder of the World Triple Jump record, was a special guest.

Janetzky’s second ‘70’ refers to 70,000 spectators, which is the high mark Berlin intends to reach. This would be a Golden League audience record, though it could not quite match the best ISTAF turnout ever. It was at the very first ISTAF meeting a year after the Berlin Olympics in 1937 when 80,000 people streamed into the Olympic Stadium. This figure is out of reach now since the arena after renovation no longer has that capacity.

With 70,000 spectators the stadium would almost be sold out. “Our title sponsor DKB will help us in achieving this goal,” confirmed Janetzky, announcing the amazing figure that 40,000 tickets had already been sold. That is because their title sponsor DKB bought 30,000 tickets for the whole upper tier of the Olympic Stadium. The bank intends to resell these tickets to its clients. That could mean that the DKB ISTAF could draw a larger number of spectators from outside Berlin. If this should work it could be a great sign looking ahead to the World Championships in 2009.

16 events

Janetzky announced that the DKB ISTAF will feature 16 events this year. Besides the ten IAAF Golden League Jackpot disciplines – Women: 100m, 400m, 100m Hurdles, High Jump, Pole Vault; Men: 100m, 1500m, 110m Hurdles, Triple Jump, Javelin Throw – the men’s Pole Vault has already been added to schedule in view of the many strong German competitors. Other events will be decided at a later stage.

“It is our aim to sign as many World champions from Osaka as possible”, said Janetzky, and in 2009 “the ISTAF will offer perfect publicity for the World Championships” in Berlin.

Edwards on Olsson – “very stable – physically and mentally”

At yesterday’s press conference Jonathan Edwards was on hand to announce with the DKB ISTAF organisers the participation of Olympic champion Christian Olsson at all six IAAF Golden League meetings in 2007.

Olsson has already won a slice of the $1 Million Dollar Golden League Jackpot back in 2004, when he shared the money with 400m runner Tonique Williams-Darling (BAH). Now the 27-year-old Olsson goes for the Jackpot again and hopes still to be in contention, when DKB ISTAF is staged on the Sunday afternoon of 16 September 2007.

“Winning the Golden League with its six meetings is a tremendous challenge. These are very tough competitions and additionally you have the World Championships in Osaka this year,” said Edwards.

“I think Christian is in with a good chance since he continuously is able to produce very good jumps. He is very stable – physically and mentally. On the other hand there are so many young guys coming up. That does not make it easier for him. The Triple Jump is always exciting since there are a number of great athletes competing at present.”

Jonathan Edwards, who had won the Golden Four Jackpot (the meeting series prior to the IAAF Golden League) back in 1996, also said: “Once you have won the opening event of the Golden League you have to cope with a lot of pressure. If you are successful in the series that continues for months – so you have to be mentally strong as well.” Edwards also added: “As a retired athlete I am happy to watch the competition on TV or in the stadium – I am happy not to jump anymore.”

Looking at his own World record of 18.29 m from the World Championships in Gothenburg back in 1995 Edwards said: “I hope my record continues to stand for another couple of years.”

Bubka Berlin bound

While it is not yet clear if Edwards will be able to be present in Berlin on 16 September due to possible commitments regarding his position as an athletes’ representative in the organising committee of the London 2012 Olympic Games, another retired holder of a World record will come to the ISTAF this year: Sergey Bubka.

Bubka will support a charity initiative connected with the men’s Pole Vault. For every centimetre cleared by any athlete competing, one Euro will be given to the Welthungerhilfe (German World Food Programme) by the organisers, and if there is a similar strong competition as last year that would generate about 20,000 Euros.

Jörg Wenig and Marisa Reich
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