24 November 2000MonteCarlothe top class athletes invited to attend the 2000 World Athletics Gala, organised by the International Athletic Foundation with the assistance of the Compagnie Monegasque de Banque and MONDO, have started to arrive in the Principality. Here, on Sunday night, in the Salle des Etoiles of the Sporting d’Ete, his Serene Highness Prince Albert and IAAF President Lamine Diack, will make prestigious awards to the stars of 2000.
During the televised ceremony, which will be broadcast to a total of 120 countries, the identities of the two Athletes of the Year will be revealed, as selected by the Council of the Foundation based on the 24 nominations received from an expert panel.
Men
Virgilijus Alekna (LIT) - Discus Throw; Jonathan Edwards (GBR) - Triple Jump; Anier Garcia (CUB) - 110m Hurdles; Haile Gebrselassie (ETH) - 10,000m; Maurice Greene (USA) - 100m/200m; Michael Johnson (USA) - 400m; Robert Korzeniowski (POL) - 20km/50km Walk; Noah Ngeny (KEN) - 1500m; Erki Nool (EST) - Decathlon; Ivan Pedroso (CUB) - Long Jump; Angelo Taylor (USA) - 400m Hurdles; Jan Zelezny (CZE) - Javelin Throw.
Women
Stacy Dragila (USA) - Pole Vault; Heike Drechsler (GER) - Long Jump; Cathy Freeman (AUS) - 400m; Trine Hattestad (NOR) - Javelin Throw; Marion Jones (USA) - 100m/200m and Long Jump; Denise Lewis (GBR) - Heptathlon; Tereza Marinova (BUL) - Triple Jump; Maria Mutola (MOZ) - 800m; Irina Privalova (RUS) - 400m Hurdles; Gabriela Szabo (ROM) - 1500m and 5000m; Naoko Takahashi (JPN) - Marathon; Derartu Tulu (ETH) - 10,000m and Cross Country.
Following tradition, there will also be a number of other awards, granted in recognition of outstanding achievement in specific categories. The "Inspirational Award" will reward that athlete who provided us with the most dramatic winning performance of 2000, the "Distinguished Career Award" will recognise one man and one woman who have demonstrated excellence throughout long and distinguished careers, while the "Rising Star Award" will highlight the outstanding young male and female talents, a few weeks after the conclusion of the IAAF World Junior Championships.
