Australian Athletics Tour
The Australian Athletics Tour, formerly the Athletics Grand Prix Series is a series of annual Australian track and field competitions which is held from February to April. Australian athletes aiming at selection in the Olympic Games, World Championships or Commonwealth Games are usually required to compete in the meetings which form the series.[1]
The currently meetings on the tour are: Hunter Track Classic, Briggs Athletics Classic, Canberra Track Classic, Adelaide Track Classic, Melbourne Track Classic, Perth Track Classic, Sydney Track Classic and Queensland Track Classic.[2]
Overview
Each year Athletics Australia and its member associations conduct a range of athletics meets held around the country in a two-tiered structure. Australian Athletics Tour is part of the Athletics Australia National Athletics Series from November to April, which includes more meetings, like the Hunter Track Classic, Adelaide Track Classic, Briggs Athletics Classic and Queensland Track Classic
From 2005 to 2009 the Melbourne Track Classic was part of the prestigious IAAF World Athletics Tour, at which competing athletes can earn points towards competing in the IAAF World Athletics Final. From 2010 onwards the meet is part of the IAAF World Challenge.
Athletics Australia provides travel funding to enable the leading Australian athletes to compete and invites a small number of international athletes to attend.
In the 2008 series, world 100 metres record-holder Asafa Powell of Jamaica and World Champion at 400 metres, Jeremy Wariner of the United States were the main overseas attractions.[3]
IAAF World Athletics Tour meets
The three IAAF approved meetings held in Australia are:
- Canberra AIS meet - traditionally conducted around Australia Day, 26 January
- Sydney Track Classic - usually conducted in late February
- Melbourne Track Classic - traditionally conducted in late February
The Australian Championships are held shortly after the conclusion of the Grand Prix series.
The Grand Prix series is usually telecast on SBS Television.
Event sponsorship
The series has previously been supported by Athletics Australia's major sponsor and known as:
Telstra's support for athletics in Australia ended in 2007 and the sport was without a major sponsor during the 2008 series.
References
- ↑ - Athletics Australia selection criteria Archived 26 April 2008 at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ "2016 Australian Athletics Tour". Athletics Australia. 2016. Retrieved 14 March 2016.
- ↑ Guardian Unlimited - Powell and Wariner post comfortable early season wins