Jeremy Wariner speaking at the LOC press conference - Stuttgart 2006 (© Bob Ramsak)
As the athletics world begins to descend on Stuttgart, organisers of this weekend’s fourth edition of the IAAF World Athletics Final announced today that more than 41,000 tickets have been sold for the two-day event, and they remain hopeful that they can meet their goal of 60,000.
Said Local Organising Committee member Jurgen Scholz, the president of the WLV, the regional athletics federation: “After this summer’s football World Cup, it’s an important aim of ours to show that not only football, but other sports too can attract attention here.” Scholz added that this weekend’s World Athletics Final will be the first major sporting event hosted by Germany since the FIFA World Cup in June and July.
Scholz also stressed the importance of involving the entire community in the weekend’s activities. 800 kids will be participating in a relay event on Saturday, he said, while a mass race on Sunday morning, the Athletics Day Run, will attract even more.
Prof. Dr. Helmut Digel, an IAAF Vice President, ensured that the athletics world will not be disappointed as it arrives in Stuttgart.
“It was a good decision for the IAAF to bring the World Athletics Final here,” he said. “We have lots of experience from when we hosted the 1993 World Championships. It’s the only meeting in which virtually every World and Olympic champion competes, so it’s one of the most important competititions.”
Noting that 10 German athletes are likely to receive wild card entries, Digel added, “It’s also very important for German athletes. Especially for the Stuttgart native Fabian Schulze, who has a good chance to win here.”
Home boy Schulze optimistic
After a near-miss at 5.86m last Sunday, the 22-year-old Schulze said he’s very optimistic for Saturday’s Pole Vault competition, but doesn’t want to assume the favourite’s role. Given the form he displayed on Sunday in Berlin, with a near miss at 6.01, he considers Australian Steven Hooker as the clear cut favourite at the moment, along with his compatriot Paul Burgess. “It will be difficult to beat the two, but in an event like the Pole Vault, it’s not impossible.”
Schulze, who didn’t qualify for the European Championships, said it was difficult to accept that he had to miss Gothenburg, but added, “But now I’m focusing everything on this weekend.”
“I’m very happy with the way my season’s been going,” he continued. “I’ve had no injuries, I’ve competed well in international competitions, and I was happy to improve my IAAF World Ranking. This meeting here at home is very important, both for me and for the spectators.”
Golden League triumph behind him, remaining unbeaten is Wariner’s motivation
After finishing with a perfect six-for-six record in the IAAF Golden League, a streak that left Olympic and World champion Jeremy Wariner nearly $250,000 richer, the 22-year-old Texan said it wasn’t too difficult to find new motivation as his attention now shifts to Saturday afternoon’s 400m race in Stuttgart.
“It’s been a long season with the way the Golden League Jackpot was set up, and that was my main motivation. So my motivation now is to stay undefeated with my last two races.” After Stuttgart, Wariner will cap his season in Shanghai. His Berlin victory was his 13th straight this season.
Other than that, Wariner said, his goals have remained unchanged.
“Hopefully I can get back under the 44 second barrier like I’ve been saying the past few weeks,” Wariner said. “I was hoping to do it in both Brussels and Berlin, but the main goal is just to stay consistent with my times as I have all season, and to do it one more time here in Stuttgart.
He’s not expecting an easy time, however.
“In Berlin, Lashawn Merritt took it out real hard in the first 300 and Gary Kikaya came on real strong in the last 100 so, anything can happen in a race,” he said. “So I just have to focus on myself, my main competitor is myself. It’s going to be a tough race just like it’s been the last three weeks. Merritt gave me a great race in Zurich, and in Brussels Kikaya and Merritt were there, and I’m expecting the same thing here, that they’ll be trying to go out and get me.”
Competition begins at 13:30 local time on Saturday with competition in the women’s hammer Throw.
Bob Ramsak for the IAAF
