Big Shot - taking it to the street
DN Galan does it again – launches a new innovative way when it comes to developing athletics.
For the first time in an international meeting, an event will be contested outside the arena when the world´s best shot putters compete in DN Galan´s Big Shot, Monday July 21.
- We wanted to test the idea of marketing athletics in a different and spectacular way. We got approval from the International Association of Athletics Federations, so we are going to build a shot put arena in the centre of Kungsträdgården, says Rajne Söderberg, meeting director of DN Galan.
Reese Hoffa, 30, who won the US Olympic trials last week and won the World Championships in Osaka, can expect tough competition from fellow countrymen Adam Nelson and Christian Cantwell who will accompany Hoffa to the Olympics.
The showman Adam Nelson, 32, who won gold at the World Championships 2005, has three silver medals and two Olympic silver, wants to complete his medal collection with gold in Beijing. Christian Cantwell, 27, won World Indoors in 2004 and Valencia in March.
The women´s field is equally impressive with world leader Nadezhda Ostapchuk, Belarus, who has a World Championship gold from 2005 and two silver, (2003 and 2007) and Nadine Kleinert. The German who is third on the year’s top list won Olympic silver in 2004, World Championship silver 1999 and 2001, as well as a bronze medal.
Big Shot is also about DN Galan´s continued development to becoming the best meeting in athletics.
- The goal is to further develop the event during 2009 so that in 2010 we can obtain membership in Golden League, says Rajne Söderberg.
A shot put circle, throwing circle and stand for 500 spectators will be built in front of the stage in Kungsträdgården. Sveriges Television will shoot the competition which will be
staged in the spirit of DN Galan with music and show and interview some of the stars who will be competing at DN Galan. The programme will be shown later that evening.
But the fun is not only for the world´s best. Youth Shot, which is part of DN Galan Youth, is for boys and girls 13-19 years of age. The other events will be contested at Stockholm Olympic Stadium July 23-24. The startlist has the names of almost all the shot putters in the country who top the top lists in their respective age group. Anybody who visits Kungsträdgården is welcome to give shot put a try!
Tickets to DN Galan will also be given away to lucky winners.
Keijo Liimatainen