Sporting News

Beattie Joins World's Quickest Men to Promote Goodwill in Brisbane

International sprinting superstars Maurice Greene and Ato Boldon today gave Queenslanders a taste of what is to come when 1300 of the world's best athletes hit Brisbane for the 2001 Goodwill Games later this year.

Queensland Premier Peter Beattie joined more than 1,000 people at a special Champions Luncheon held for Greene and Boldon at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre today.

Mr Beattie said the huge interest in the two athletes' visit to Australia highlighted the intense exposure Brisbane would receive from the Goodwill Games.

"Having the two fastest men in the world is a coup for any event, but the Goodwill Games will also have the best of the best in 14 sports," Mr Beattie said.

"The interest from the media and general public will snowball thanks to the presence of such a smorgasbord of elite athletes in Brisbane.

"Like the Sydney Olympics before us, Brisbane will become a major media story in its own right as the host of the biggest sporting event in the world this year."

Premier Beattie said the thousands of people who had bought tickets for athletics at the Goodwill Games would be inspired by the visit of Greene and Boldon, before expressing that he would join the athletic superstars again tomorrow at a Goodwill Games Champions' Luncheon in Sydney to further offer his support for the attention-grabbing event.

The Goodwill Games is a major international sporting meet founded by CNN's Ted Turner. Winning athletes are awarded cash prizes in addition to medals. The spectacular event will take place in Brisbane during August and September of this year.