Courtesy: USATF

The IAAF's Golden League series of international track and field meets returns to U.S. television this summer with six national telecasts on ESPN and ESPN2, USATF announced Wednesday.

The IAAF Golden League presented by Finish Line will feature five shows on ESPN2 and one on ESPN, beginning Sunday, July 6 with the famed Bislett Games in Oslo, Norway (ESPN2, 5 p.m. Eastern). Nearly all top U.S. athletes, including Maurice Greene, Tim Montgomery, Allen Johnson, Stacy Dragila, Suzy Favor Hamilton (photo, right), Kelli White, Gail Devers and others are competing in Europe this summer alongside international superstars.

The most elite of the IAAF's international invitational meets, the Golden League offers a share of a $1 million jackpot of gold, to be split among any athletes winning their individual events in all six Golden League meets in Oslo, Paris, Rome, Berlin, Zurich and Brussels.

"We are extremely pleased that once again, track fans will have the opportunity to watch the top international meets of the European season," said USATF CEO Craig Masback. "We appreciate the IAAF's willingness to work with USA Track & Field to put some of the world's best meets on ESPN. These telecasts would not have been possible without the support of Finish Line and Nike. The Golden League telecasts are a great prelude to the extensive coverage of the IAAF World Championships this August on ESPN and ABC."

IAAF Golden League presented by Finish Line follows on the heels of the successful USATF Golden Spike Tour, which aired 12 telecasts of track and field in 2003, including shows on NBC, ESPN and ESPN2. The domestic track and field TV schedule culminated with an outstanding weekend of track an field in which NBC aired the USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships presented by Verizon, and CBS aired the NCAA Division I Track & Field Championships, together attracting more than 6 million TV viewers in a single afternoon on June 21.

For more information on the IAAF Golden League, visit www.iaaf.org

2003 IAAF Golden League presented by Finish Line 

All times Eastern; check local listings
 
Time     Date       Network    Meet
5 p.m.      July 6     ESPN2      Bislett Games (Oslo)
3:30 p.m.   July 13    ESPN2      Gaz de France (Paris)
1 p.m.      July 19    ESPN       Golden Gala (Rome)
1 a.m.      August 17  ESPN2      ISTAF 2003 (Berlin)
2 p.m.      August 23  ESPN2      Welklasse Zurich
1 p.m.      Sept. 14   ESPN2      Memorial Van Damme (Brussels)