The orgainsier’s response was to introduce a programme of events for 12
to 13-year-olds, which began at 5:30 pm before the main events of the
Friday night meeting and saw a total of 128 youngsters compete.
According to Caroline Gaul of Golazo Sports, the marketing company
responsible for the youth programme, the objective is to give top young
Belgian athletes a chance to be part of in a Golden League meeting.
“It gave the young athletes a wonderful taste of the atmosphere,” she
says. They ran in a 50,000-seater stadium and even though it was
raining and there was some time before the elite events started there
were already a lot of spectators present.”
“The experience was very much a replica of the Golden League meeting,
right down to the cameras filming the races so they could be shown live
on the giant screens”
The races staged reflected those in the main meeting but were modified
for the age group. Both boys and girls competed at 80 metres, 300
metres and 1000 metres. There was also a relay of 4 X 80 metres.
Entry was limited to a small number of the best young athletes in
Belgium. The top 8 or top 16 in each category were identified by the
country’s athletics clubs, working with the national federation and its
list of results, and then invited to take part.
By involving the young athletes, the Belgacom Memorial Van Damme was
able to strengthen the links with the country’s clubs and the grass
roots of the sport.
Gaul says that the organisers will continue with the youth events are
considering expanding the programme by inviting an older age group in
2009.
| Fact File | |
| Programme: | Belgacom Youth Memorial Van Damme |
| Organiser: | vzw/asbl Memorial Van Damme |
| Start Date: | 2008 |
| Target Group: | Club athletes 12 to 13 years old |
| Participants in 2008: | 128 |
| Support: | Belgacom and the other partners of the Memorial Van Damme |
| More Information: | Caroline Gaul caroline.gaul@golazo.com |