News05 Jun 2008


Words from the Meeting Director - Berlin 2008

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Berlin - Gerhard Janetzky (© c)

Gerhard Janetzky 

31 May 2008 - Berlin, Germany - There is old saying in some countries that the last shall one day become the first and that has become true this year of the DKB-ISTAF 2008 meeting.

After bringing the curtain down on the 2007 Golden League, where Sanya Richards and Yelena Isinbayeva were presented with cheques for $500,000 after sharing the $1 million jackpot, Germany's premier athletics meeting is the first act in this year's ÅF Golden League series.

"The big change for us has been that for the first time we had clear all the visas for athletes from certain countries. The directors of the rest of the European meetings who follow us are very grateful!," joked meeting director Gerhard Janetsky.

"In the past, almost all the athletes were on the circuit by the time they got to Berlin but, for the first time for us, we had to talk to the Russian and Cuban embassies and so on to help us get people here. But all the people who we wanted to come and who promised to come are here. Nevertheless, we've had two people working full-time on this visa issue alone.

"The other big issue for us relating to the change in our place on the calendar is that, although you are always planning into the blue, it is especially true if you are the first Golden League meeting.

"You are looking around to see who might be in good shape. If you have a meeting after the big competition of the summer like the IAAF World Championships then this exercise is obviously easier, but we've been blessed some fortunate results over the last few weeks which has helped us.

"Firstly, Irving Saladino had a wonderful long jump in Hengelo last week (8.73m long jump, the best in the world for 14 years). He seems to be the one the press are trusting to do something great here. I wouldn't talk about World records, there is always speculation about World records but the World Long Jump record has stood since 1991 and my feeling is that it will still stand for some time to come. Nevertheless it should be a marvellous competition and it's also a Golden League discipline.

"There is also Blanka Vlasic in the women's High Jump. She's started with some good early season marks and already gone over 2.03m in Doha a few weeks ago. I'll be more than happy if she clears 2.06m," smiled the jovial Janetsky, suggesting he is already a happy man even before the first event in Berlin has got under way.

"Concerning the other Golden League disciplines, I could go through the list but we have also put some extra money into the Javelin Throw and told the guys we want to see it going out very, very far!

"It's great to have Jeremy Wariner here as well. He's been the star of 400m running for several years but if I was a betting man, I have the feeling that he might even be defeated. LaShawn Merritt is really going for it and Angelo Taylor is capable of doing it as well," added Janetsky.

Traditionally, the DKB-ISTAF meeting pays tribute to some of the legends of the sport, both German and international, and this year will be no different.

"Last year Rosie Ackermann was our guest. This year we have Manfred Germer, Martin Lauer, and Armin Hary, some of the great German sprinters of the 1950s and 1960s.

"Ed Moses and Sergey Bubka are also back here, they did tremendous  performances in Berlin in the past, and we also have a presentation before the main part of the meeting of all the other Berlin athletes who have already qualified for the Olympic Games in other sports. There is about 70 of them and they will be riding around the track in cars from our sponsors Mercedes. "

Janetsky also hopes that many, if not all, of last year's 70,253 spectators will be back, an attendance figure which set a Golden League record.

"We have to see how the weather is. If it's a bit too warm, the perhaps some people will go to the beach. I don't blame them. If I had not got a meeting to direct I would also be on my boat or at the beach but I think I can guarantee around 65,000 people in the stadium and with a bit of luck we may top last year's figures," added Janetsky.

Phil Minshull for the IAAF

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