Posted: July 27, 2005

Athletics: An Athletics Legend Moves Into Its New Home Oslo TDK Golden League

Oslo, Norway - Just three athletes of the original twelve TDK Golden League event winners from the opening fixture in Paris on 1 July got through the second round in Rome (8 July) and remain in the fight for the TDK Golden League Jackpot of $1 million as the competition moves to leg three in Oslo. A share of this prize is on offer to any athlete who wins his or her event at all six meetings in the series, and then competes at the IAAF World Athletics Final (9 / 10 Sept) in Monaco.

An all-female Jackpot trio of Christine Arron (FRA – 100m), Lashinda Demus (USA – 400m H) and Tatyana Lebedeva (RUS - LJ), remain in contention and will pursue this richly-endowed challenge at the ExxonMobil Bislett Games on Friday 29 July.

A completely new Bislett stadium, with the shape and feel of its legendary predecessor but with all the modern facilities demanded by a young century, will usher in a new chapter in the story of the Bislett, a history that was inextricably linked to the excellence in our sport in the 20th century.

As you walk in the new stadium the first thing that strikes you is the feeling that you have definitely been here before. The City of Oslo, the architects and the Bislett Alliansen have developed a thoroughly modern facility that manages to retain all the character and charm that symbolised the old Bislett. You can almost feel the crowd roaring its support of Clarke, Rono, Walker, Kristiansen, Waitz, Coe, Walker, Cram, Zelezny, Gebrselassie…

Gone is the quaint 6 lane track and the exhaustive list of World records set, that was so much a part of Bislett folklore, replaced by a ‘state of the art’ 8 lane ‘Championship’ capable track. The new stadium is now an all-seat venue and features many new comforts for spectators, media and athletes alike.

Shortly after 7pm on the 29 July, the Mayor of Oslo will open the ExxonMobil Bislett Games in the presence of amongst others, His Majesty King Harald of Norway, Her Majesty, Queen Sonja and IAAF President Lamine Diack. Then a two-part music show which follows the speeches will surround a two-hour programme of TDK Golden League action.

Norway’s Trine Hattestad (69.48 Javelin) in the former Oslo arena in 2000, and Elvan Abeylegesse of Turkey (14:24.68 – 5000m) last year in Bergen’s Fana Stadium, were the Bislett Games most recent senior World record breakers, and many more legends will surely join them in Oslo’s new athletics palace.