Britain to host two key events in new athletics calendar
The UK will get to see Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell twice a year
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Monday, 02, Mar 2009 09:32
Britain will stage two key events as part of a major reconstruction of the athletics calendar, the sport's governing body has announced.
The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) have announced plans for a Diamond League which will be made up of 12 events taking place all around the world, two events in the US, one in China and possibly another in the Middle East.
The London Grand Prix and the British Grand Prix could be hosted at venues like Birmingham or Gateshead, once the Diamond League kicks off in 2010, with the Olympic athletics stadium a possible venue for events after 2012.
The new structure will mean an end to the current six competitions in Europe which make up the Golden League. But UK athletics (UKA) Niels de Vos felt the new Diamond League will benefit British athletes.
"I am personally hugely excited by this. This gives athletics a truly global annual showcase, that will have editorial relevance from May right through to September," said de Vos.
"From a British perspective, we are going to be at the heart of the Diamond League with the Aviva London Grand Prix and Aviva British Grand Prix.
"For our athletes it will provide great opportunities to compete in regular top flight competition as we build towards the London Olympics in 2012."
All athletes will also earn the same at each event no matter what their discipline is and there will also be a 'Diamond Race' in each competition, which will give the most successful athlete in each event, at the end of the season, a four-carat diamond worth around $80,000 (£56,553).