IAAF to scrap Golden League
Published:Tuesday | March 3, 2009 | 10:49 AM
Plans to radically rejuvenate athletics have been revealed by the sports governing body, the International Association of Athletics Federation, with a new global league set to kick off in 2010.
The Diamond League, which replaces the Europe-based six-meet Golden Meet, will see the likes of sprinters Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell competing in 12 meetings a year across Europe, Asia and the United States.
The biggest stars will be tied to rich contracts for several of the meets. Each of the Diamond League meetings will offer $416, 000 in prize money.
The highly marketable jackpot system, which gave the winner of all six Golden League meets $1,000,000 in gold will be scrapped.
Instead, the series will feature a Diamond Race in each of 32 different athletic events and the season winner will get a four-carat diamond worth about $80, 000.