Isinbayeva and Bekele’s $1 Million mission – ‘One month to go’ to ÅF Golden League 2009

Monte-Carlo - There is just one month to go until the hunt for the $1 Million Jackpot of the ÅF Golden League 2009 commences in the German capital’s atmospheric 1936 Olympic stadium at the DKB-ISTAF Berlin meeting on Sunday 14 June.

Spearheading the season long quest to win at least a share of the $1 Million by remaining unbeaten at all six meetings of the ÅF Golden League are 2008 female World Athlete of the Year Yelena Isinbayeva (RUS) and 2008 Olympic 5000m and 10,000m champion Kenenisa Bekele (ETH).

Two years ago Isinbayeva, the World, Olympic and European champion and World record holder for the Pole Vault secured half of the $1 Million prize and with her discipline returning as one of the designated Jackpot events this year the peerless Russian has signed-up to contest the entire series again.

The other high profile athlete secured for the six meetings is Bekele, another former Jackpot winner. The Ethiopian who is a multiple global champion on the track and across the country and holds the World records for 5000m and 10,000m took a share ($83,333) of half of the original Jackpot in 2006, the season in which athletes who had won five of the six meetings were also rewarded.

In 2009, as the previous two seasons since Bekele’s win, this secondary prize has also existed but with the added caveat that it only becomes available should NO athlete manage to attain six victories. Bekele’s chosen event for the ÅF Golden League in 2009 is the 3000 / 5000m, with the latter distance being run in Berlin.

Negotiations are on-going with a number of other star athletes, announcements regarding which will follow during the next month.

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There are TEN ÅF Golden League event disciplines designated to the Jackpot in 2009, five events for men and five for women, as follows:

Men: 100m, 400m, 3000m/5000m, 110m Hurdles, Javelin Throw.

Women: 100m, 400m, 100m Hurdles, High Jump, Pole Vault.


Athletics’ biggest yearly payday - ÅF Golden League Jackpot

The prize - $1 Million

The requirement - ‘6 out of 6’

The annual drama that is the season long campaign to claim the $1 Million Jackpot offered by the ÅF Golden League continues in 2009 with its ‘winner takes all’ ethos. Athletes are required to win at all six meetings in the series to acquire at least a share of athletics’ biggest yearly payday.

The possibility of a secondary prize also exists:

To sustain the active participation in the Jackpot of as many athletes as possible through to the culmination of the series, should NO athlete manage to attain six wins and claim the $1 Million, then anyone with five victories will share half the original prize - $500,000. NOTE. this secondary prize is only on offer should nobody win his or her event at all six meetings.

Cities and Dates for 2009 -

Berlin, GER – Sunday 14 June
Oslo, NOR – Friday 3 July
Rome, ITA – Friday 10 July
Paris, FRA – Friday 17 July
Zürich, SUI – Friday 28 August
Brussels, BEL – Friday 4 September