Athletics: IAAF to treble its money

Primo Nebiolo, president of the International Amateur Athletic Federation, will today announce that a total of $10m (pounds 6.2m) in prize-money will be available to athletes next year, treble the total last season.

A two-day IAAF council meeting in Monaco decided that prize money for the grand prix final in Fukuoka, Japan, will remain at $3,388,000 while money is awarded for the first time at the world outdoor and indoor championships in Athens and Paris. World records in Athens will earn a prize of $100,000.

The IAAF's commitment comes at a time when the federation has still to find a sponsor for its grand prix circuit. After severing its ties with Mobil last year the IAAF paid $2m of its own money this year to help support the circuit and will pay a similar amount next season. The federation has apparently been given only $8m by the International Olympic Committee from Atlanta Olympic ticket revenues totalling over $72m for athletics.

The 1998 grand prix final has been awarded to Moscow, and Maebishi, Japan, hosts the 1999 world indoor championships.

The decathlete Eduard Hamalainen will be allowed compete for Finland next year. Hamalainen won a silver medal for Belarus at the 1993 and 1995 world championships.