Who
will cash in on record bonus in Paris?
February
25 1997
MONACO - Monte
Carlo - The official announcement today that
athletes who break world records at IAAF World
Series events will receive awards of up to
$100,000 in addition to the Competition Awards
recently introduced, raises a number of
intriguing possibilities with regard to the IAAF
World Indoor Championships in Paris on March 7-9.
Thanks to the new
record programme, winners in Paris will make
$50,000 by breaking an official world record
(subject to ratification under IAAF rules) as
well as $50,000 for the victory (the women’s
pole vault, as a new event, offers 50% of the
standard awards). Among those athletes who have
confirmed their participation at the World Indoor
Championships, a number seem likely to profit
based on current form:
MEN
1500m
Hicham El Guerrouj
(MAR) The talented young middle distance runner
has already broken two world indoor records this
season. He ran 3:31.18 for 1500m in Stuttgart and
3:48.45 for the mile in Ghent. Originally, El
Guerrouj was doubtful about competing in Paris
because of an injury but he has recently
confirmed he will run the 1500m.
3000m
Ethiopia’s
Haile Gebrselassie has shown extraordinary range
indoors this year breaking the 5000m world record
in Stockholm (12:59.04), running 7:31.27 for
3000m, 3:32.39 for 1500m and even trying his hand
at 800m. With steeplechase ace Moses Kiptanui and
1992 Olympic 5000m champion Dieter Baumann also
in the race Gebrselassie’s 3000m world
record (7:30.72) could well tumble. Kiptanui
himself has predicted a fast paced rather than
tactical race in Paris.
800m
Wilson Kipketer,
who ran 1:41.83 outdoors last year, has not run
at all indoors this season but is saving himself
for a big performance in Paris. The long-standing
800m world record of 1:44.84 set by Paul Ereng in
1989 seems well within Kipketer’s
capabilities.
60m
hurdles
 Olympic 110m hurdles
champion Allen Johnson has vowed to break Colin
Jackson’s world record for that event this
summer. Both men contest the 60m hurdles in Paris
and although Jackson is currently leading the
world lists with 7.46 (his WR is 7.30) newcomer
Anier Garcia of Cuba beat him in Birmingham.
Sparks seem sure to fly.
Long
Jump
 1996 proved a huge
disappointment for Cuba’s Ivan Pedroso who,
recovering from injury, saw Carl Lewis steal the
limelight with his historic Olympic victory. Now
back to his best form Pedroso jumped 8.60m in
Lievin and has an added incentive to try and
break the 8.79m world indoor record set back in
1984: it belongs to Carl Lewis.
WOMEN
Without doubt, the
star event of the women’s programme in Paris
will be the pole vault. Making its first
appearance at an IAAF World Championships, this
event promises to highlight the extraordinary
talent of Australia’s former circus acrobat
Emma George. Currently waiting to see if her
indoor world record of 4.40m will be ratified,
George has taken advantage of the Southern
Hemisphere summer to improve the outdoor world
record first to 4.50m and then to 4.55m (awaiting
ratification). With George set to meet
international rivals like Ezster Szemeredi of
Hungary (4.32m indoors), Daniela Bartova of the
Czech Republic (4.31m indoors) and Vala
Flosadottir of Iceland (4.20m indoors) for the
first time in world class competition, the indoor
record is likely to fall. Because the
women’s pole vault is a new event,
competition awards and record bonuses are 50% the
usual amount. Nevertheless, the Paris champion
still stands to make $50,000 for winning gold
with a world record height.
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