News08 Jul 2005


Lebedeva tops IAAF Internet poll

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Tatyana Lebedeva of Russia wins the Triple Jump at the Paris Golden League meeting (© Getty Images)

MonteCarloIn just short of one week, no fewer than 1364 entries were received for the IAAF online quiz – entries to which closed earlier today – that asked fans worldwide who they thought would win a share of the TDK Golden League Jackpot.
 
Russia’s Tatyana Lebedeva, double World Triple Jump and Olympic Long Jump champion, received the highest number of votes with 310 athletics aficionados believing she is capable of winning the remaining 5 TDK Golden League Triple Jump contests after she outclassed all her rivals in Paris last week.
 
The men’s 3000/5000m was second best in the IAAF poll with 277 votes, a choice which is understandable considering that Olympic champion Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia won the opening leg at the Stade de France. However, with Bekele not running in Rome, it is a certainty that he will not be a Jackpot winner this year.
 
The third highest score of 266 votes went to the option “no-one will win the Jackpot” which if it occurred would be the first occasion in the history of the Golden League, as there has always been at least one winner each year since the creation of the Jackpot in 1998.
 
In fourth with 133 votes the IAAF internet users voted the men’s 100m; Paris winner Aziz Zakari of Ghana will face a very strong challenge tonight in Rome against World champion Kim Collins and Olympic gold medallist Justin Gatlin lining-up in the Olympic stadium.
 
The only other event to gather more than 100 votes (101) was the men’s High Jump which offers once again an amazing field in Rome. Olympic champion Stefan Holm, winner in Paris, has what it takes to jump high but he needs to maintain his top shape throughout the summer if he wants to win a share of the Jackpot, and notably lost last Tuesday in Lausanne.
 
Followed in order, the women’s 400m Hurdles and 800m with 71 and 63 votes respectively; the men’s 1500m/Mile with 37 votes and the men’s 110m Hurdles with 30 votes.
 
The least voted for events were the women’s 100m and men’s Javelin Throw (24 each), the women’s 3000m/5000m with 22 votes and the men’s 800m with only 6 votes.
 
After the second TDK Golden League meeting last year, only seven athletes were still in contention for the Jackpot, a number which narrowed down to five after three meetings, and then four after four meetings. Eventually two won a share of the 1 million dollar: Tonique Williams-Darling and Christian Olsson.
 
The winner will be drawn from amongst all the correct answers, and his or her name will be announced on 5 September 2004 on www.iaaf.org. The winner will be invited, together with one accompanying person, to the World Athletics Final in Monaco, 9 and 10 September as a VIP guest.
 
Click here to read more about last year's winner of the IAAF on-line contest, Christine Bertram of Germany

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