26 February 2009
Monte-Carlo - The 2009 IAAF World Athletics Tour recommences this time next week (Thu 5 March) in Melbourne, Australia, when the World Athletics Tour Melbourne, a Grand Prix status meeting, takes place in the city's Olympic Park.
The Shanghai Golden Grand Prix (20 Sep 2008), which began the current edition of the World Athletics Tour that will conclude at the IAAF / VTB Bank World Athletics Final in Thessaloniki, Greece (13 September 2009) seems now a distant memory, but results from there in China, in Melbourne next week, and at the other 23 meetings which make up the Tour gain athletes qualifying points for the Final.**
The World Athletics Tour is made up of two levels, the =3DC5F Golden League (6 meets) and IAAF Super Grand Prix (5) as the top rung, with the IAAF Grand Prix meets (14) the other category.
The Melbourne meeting which this year is celebrating its 22nd anniversary is the premier event of the Australian season.
Last year's edition in Melbourne was memorably highlighted by a 10.04sec 100m sprint by Asafa Powell, a 44.82 sec 400m opener from Jeremy Wariner, and a 21.27m Area Shot Put record for Scott Martin.
Please note, a meeting preview story will be published on the IAAF website on Tuesday 3 March.
**There are also a number of designated Area Permit Meetings at which qualifying points can also be scored.
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