World s One-Day Meeting with Largest Audience, DKB-ISTAF, Presents International World-Class Athletics.

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1 World s One-Day Meeting with Largest Audience, DKB-ISTAF, Presents International World-Class Athletics. Only 1000 tickets left on sale for DKB-ISTAF / Stunning competitions focusing on race for the IAAF Golden League jackpot /13 World Champions and 13 WCh medallists signed-on for the meeting in Berlin s Olympic Stadium / Olympic Stadium welcomes former track-and-field top stars of seven decades to its Club 70 / Solid weekend of athletics ahead with IAAF Golden League Meeting Brussels, DKB-Cup in the historic Olympic Village Berlin and the DKB-ISTAF. Berlin, September, 10 th 2007 A stunning grand finale in the race for the IAAF Golden Jackpot and its one million US $ in gold, thrilling head-to-head fights and rematches between World Champions from Osaka and international top athletes, track-and-field stars representing seven decades of ISTAF history, and a possibly sold-out stadium celebrating the 70 th anniversary of the DKB-ISTAF: This year s Internationales Stadionfest, the DKB-ISTAF, will present a world-class athletics event this coming Sunday in Berlin s Olympic Stadium. In total, 220 athletes representing 41 countries will compete in 18 disciplines, including 13 new World Champions of the World Championships in Osaka and another 26 WCh silver- and bronze medallists. In addition, there will be athletes with eight relays gold and ten other relay medals earned in Osaka. Additional international and German top athletes will complete the meeting s entry list, considered to be one of the strongest in the history of the traditional, leading German meeting, starting fields that the German audience can only enjoy on these levels at the DKB-ISTAF. The premier highlight will be the race for the one million US $ gold jackpot. After four of the total of six IAAF Golden League Meetings in Oslo, Paris, Rome and Zurich, two athletes are still in the race for the jackpot: 400m runner Sanya Richards and pole vault jumper Yelena Isinbayeva. Additional highlights of the competitions are promised by the announcements of various athletes to break a national or meeting record at the meeting. At the occasion of its 70 th anniversary, the DKB-ISTAF offers head-to-head-fights and rematches on a world-class level in all disciplines, announced Gerhard Janetzky, Managing Partner of DKB-ISTAF/LVG GmbH, today in Berlin. We are not only showing the suspenseful, final decision in the race for the IAAF Golden League Jackpot, but also an outstanding entry list of athletes that is more than adequately representing Berlin as the host city for the World Championships Being the by far largest German meeting and the world s meeting with the largest stadium audience, we will present Berlin as WCh city 2009 to the stadium and TV audiences around the world. With record sales of 69,000 tickets, the Olympic Sta-

2 dium that has a maximum capacity of 70,000 for track and field events (due to technical reasons), is almost sold-out: The remaining thousand tickets will be sold in the upcoming week. Bettina Stark, General Representative of the title sponsor Deutsche Kreditbank AG (DKB), added: Athletics did not loose its capability to elate people. The travel package offer we sold outside the region was in high demand spectators will be travelling to Berlin in a total of 790 coaches, among them sports associations, voluntary merdical services, universities, as well as many families. The last thousand tickets are available in some limited categories at or via phone at Gegenbauer-Ticketservice 030/ The DKB-ISTAF will open its gates at 12 p.m., starting with the traditional relays competed by students from Berlin and Brandenburg, as well as the final of 50m Germany s next super sprinter. Main competitions will be starting at 1 p.m. The DKB-ISTAF will be broadcast live in German TV by ZDF between 4 and 5 p.m., as well as by Germany s leading pay-tv channel Premiere. The meeting will be broadcast in 180 countries around the world. Happy Birthday: The DKB-ISTAF Club 70 This year, the DKB-ISTAF celebrates its 70 th anniversary the first Stadionfest took place on August, 1 st 1937, at a historic site, the back newly inaugurated Berlin Olympic Stadium. At the occasion of the meeting s anniversary (making it one of the oldest in world), the organizers invited all former athletes to Berlin. Among the 350 former athletes, who have confirmed their visits to Berlin, are long-time favorites with the Berlin audience, such as legendary pole vaulter Sergey Bubka and many more. For the Stadionfest, it is a particular pleasure to welcome the oldest living athlete who competed at the Stadionfest, 93-year-old Elfriede Rahn-Kaun, (also bronze medalist women s high jump, Olympic Games, Berlin 1936) as well as Erika Biess (75m-winner, Stadionfest 1939). Other guests of honor include legendary Rosemarie Ackermann (the first woman ever to tackle high jump s magic 2 meters mark, Stadionfest 1977), 400m hurdle star Edwin Moses, long jump ladies Heide Ecker-Rosendahl and Heike Drechsler, and many more, who are looking forward to revisiting their Olympic Stadium and be re-united with the enthusiastic Berlin audience. Men s blind relay team to compete against women s relay team of WCh 2007 A special highlight in the pre-program will be a head-to-head race: The German national blind men s relay team will be competing against the German national 4x100m women s relay team of the final 4x100 competition of the World Championships in Osaka. Both teams usually show similar results hovering around 44 sec. The audience can expect a stunning performance: We present this particular com-

3 petition to showcase the increasing approach between handicapped and regular athletics, said Gerhard Janetzky. The German women s relay team with Katja Wakan, Cathleen Tschirch, Johanna Kedzerski and Verena Sailer came in seventh at Osaka (43,51 sec.) Women duo fights for IAAF Golden League Jackpot At this stage, only two athletes, Sanya Richards (USA) and Yelena Isinbayeva (RUS), remain in the hunt for complete jackpot. World record holder Yelena Isinbayeva, who has won the World Championships for her second time in a row, proving her outstanding shape, could defend her share with some difficulties at the last meeting in Zurich this past Friday. 400m runner Sanya Richards, who already busted the jackpot last year and evolved as one of the most popular athletes with the Berlin on the way, has focused on the IAAF Golden League this year, compensating for her failed WCh qualification. In all four meetings, Richards has dominated her discipline. If neither Richards nor Isinbayeva is able to tackle the jackpot, hurdle sprinter Michelle Perry (USA) and high jumper Blanka Vlasic (CRO) still have the chance of securing their share of the small jackpot with US $. However, to be eligible, both have to win their competitions at the Memorial van Damme Meeting in Brussels next Friday, as well as at the DKB-ISTAF two days later. In 2007, athletes will compete in ten official IAAF Golden League disciplines: Men will be starting over 100m, 1500m, as well as 110m hurdles, triple jump and javelin. Women compete over 100m, 400m, 100m hurdles, as well as high jump and pole vault. In addition, there will be eight DKB-ISTAF disciplines: Men s 200m, 400m, 400 hurdles and pole vault; and women s 200m, 1500m, as well as 5000m and javelin. Overview: Highlights in 18 disciplines The highlights of this year s ten IAAF Golden League and the eight promotional DKB-ISTAF disciplines promise an outstanding meeting (due to the close sequence of the meetings in Brussels and Berlin, the final entry list will be published later than usual). In the men s 100m sprint, European Champion Francis Obikwelu (POR) has to stand up to a strong international field, presenting him with the opportunity to show his strength, which he could not do at the World Championships, when he was disqualified for a false start in the heats. His strongest rival is likely to be American shooting star Leroy Dixon, who defeated Asafa Powell in the final leg of the 4x100m relay in Osaka, securing gold for his team.

4 In the men s 200m, Indoor European Champion and German multi-champion Tobias Unger has to assert himself against a formidable international starter field, including Rodney Martin (USA), Marvin Anderson (JAM), as well as Chris Williams (JAM). With German new talent Bastian Swillims in the starter field, one of the strongest international athletes of the young generation, the 400m race highlights a prominent German athlete. In the next days, the meeting organizers will sign-on additional top athletes for this race. In the men s 1500m race, US-star Bernard Lagat has announced to break his own US record, he had set in Rieti in 2005 (3:29:40). Lagat who was able to prove his outstanding strength in Osaka (he was the first athlete to win gold in both 1500m and 5000m), has to compete with Craig Mottrom (AUS), WCh bronze medallist of 2005, and 800m runner Mbulaene Mulaudzi (RSA) who will now start at 1500m for the first time. In the past years, Mottrom often showed his capability to surprise his rivals, i.e. during the spectacular head-to-head-fight at the World Cup in Athens in 2006 where Mottrom defeated Kenenisa Bekele in a spectacular 5000m race. Triple jump can be rated as a top class event, even without Christian Olsson. The Internationales Stadionfest shows a competition between the three medallists of Osaka: Portuguese Nelson Evora, Brazilian Jadel Greógrio, and US-American Walter Davis. The entry list will be completed by other finalists of the World Championships, such as Aarik Wilson (USA), Philipp Idowu (GBR), David Giralt (CUB), Alexander Martinez (SUI), and Aleksandr Petrenko (RUS). Thus, the audience will witness a fascinating competition dominated by powerful head-tohead-fights and rematches. A highly dramatic rematch is also expected in men s javelin. Tero Pitkämäki (FIN) who had been a contender for the small jackpot until Friday, was defeated at the IAAF Golden League Meeting in Zurich by his archrival and Vice-World Champion Andreas Thorkildsen (NOR). Also part of the fight was WCh bronze medallist Breaux Greer (USA): In Osaka and, more recently, in Zurich, the trio showed a turbulent competition. Additional suspense is promised by the participation of another six WCh finalists: Vadim Vasilevkis (LAT), Aleksandr Ivanov (RUS), Igor Janik (POL), Tero Järvenmpää (FIN), Guillermo Martinez (CUB), and Magnus Arvidsson (SWE). Men s pole vault was included in the DKB-ISTAF program as the meeting s seventh promotion discipline. WCh bronze medallist Danny Ecker is only one of the popular starters in this field. Additional German and international names will be announced in the next days.

5 Women s competitions became particular important due to the fact that the only two athletes remaining in the jackpot are female: Sanya Richards (400m) and Yelena Isinbayeva (pole vault). In Berlin, American Sanya Richards will compete with the entire world class that her discipline currently provides, especially with her archrival and new World Champion Christine Ohuruogu (GBR). As Sanya Richards missed her qualification for the World Championships, both athletes went head-to-head only once this season, at the IAAF Golden League meeting in Zurich. Sanya Richards is forced to once again defend her share of the one million US $ gold jackpot in Berlin, she is going to be up against the 400m world elite. It certainly is going to be a tough race for her, as Vice-World Champion Nicole Sanders (GBR) and WCh bronze medallist Novlene Williams (JAM) will go after her. This powerful starting field will be completed by 400m hurdle World Champion Jana Rawlinson (AUS). The women s 800m race, too, promises to offer a top-level competition featuring the world s best runners. The DKB-ISTAF presents all athletes starting in the WCh final: World Champion Janeth Jepkosgei (KEN) doesn t only want to defend her top position in the world, but also wants to establish a new meeting record. The Kenyan runner who superiorly dominated the race of Zurich is certainly able to scratch at the current meeting record of 1:56:56 (Ana Fidelia Quirot, CUB, August, 21th 1987). Moreover, WCh silver medallist Hasna Benhassi (MAR), as well as WCh bronze medallist Mayte Martínez (ESP) will enforce a very fast race. Particular suspense might come from Vice-World Champion Yelena Soboleva (1500m) who will start in a 800m race for the first time. She already announced to go head to head with Jepkosgei. American 100m hurdle sprinter Michelle Perry, ranked number one in the world, who was able to defend her title as World Champion in Osaka with a time of sec., will now go once again head-to-head with her toughest rivals, Canadian Perdita Felicien (12.49 sec.) and Delloreen Ennis-London (12.50) from Jamaica, whom she was able to delegate to 2 nd and 3 rd ranks, respectively. The current world s number 2, Virginia Powell (USA), could turn out to be another threat, given her time of sec. However, she came in only on the fifth rank, but now might try to finish among the first three and attack Michelle Perry directly. In addition to these four athletes, the only European hurdles sprint star and European Champion of Gothenburg 2006, Susanna Kallur (SWE), who already has started several times at the DKB-ISTAF, as well as Lolo Jones (USA), Vonette Dixon (JAM) and Canadian Angela Whyte, will be on the entry list of this race. In the competition of the Berlin meet, Perry will be under a great deal of pressure, as she is still a contender for the small contender, after she had been forced out of the fight for the big one in Zurich. In women s javelin competition, the Berlin audience will witness the fight of a trio that already shared the medal ranks in Osaka: Barbora Spotakóvá (CZE), Chris-

6 tina Obergföll (GER) and Steffi Nerius (GER). Both German top athletes will show extraordinary effort to overtrump the Czech athlete. The starter field also includes the German young talent Linda Stahl who showed a surprisingly good result in the WCh final of Osaka, where she end up in the eight rank a considerable achievement for the U23 European Champion. In the women s pole vault, Yelena Isinbayeva who is still remaining in the race for the jackpot, has to face a tough competition. At the IAAF Golden League Meeting in Zurich, she need to pull together all of her strength to finish first with a made 4.80m. For a moment, it seemed as if her fellow Russian Svetlana Feofanova, World Champion 2003 and WCh bronze medallist 2007, would crush her chances to win the jackpot: Feofanova immediately made it to 4.75 while Isinbayeva needed two additional attempts and also showed weaknesses at the level of In Berlin, top athletes such as WCh silver medallist Katerina Badurova (CZE), as well as WCh finalists Vanessa Boslak (FRA), Fabiana Murer (BRA), Yulia Golubchikova (RUS) and German Champion Silke Spiegelburg will complete the starter field. Fascinating rematches expected at DKB-CUP-Final 2007 Headlined My day in the Olympic Village, the finale of the DKB-CUP 2007 will take place at the previous day of the DKB-ISTAF, at September 15 th at a.m. in Berlin s Olympic Village. Javelin s Vice World Champion Christina Obergföll competes with her permanent rival and WCh bronze medallist Steffi Nerius; Germany s current javelin s leader Peter Sack meets the European Champion of the previous year Ralf Bartels. If both athletes, Obergföll and Sack, win their duel, the jackpot of Euro will be shared. By contrast, if both athletes loose the competition, long jumper Bianca Kappler has the chance to secure a share of the small jackpot of Euro, provided that she is able to win her discipline. Cooperation with Stadionfest Königs-Wusterhausen As in previous years, this year s winners of the Stadionfest Königs-Wusterhausen will have the opportunity to compete at the DKB-ISTAF. The cooperation is based on a long tradition and will be continued in 2007 with the winners of women s 1000m (athletes with results of at least 2.40 athletes will start in the DKB-ISTAF 800 m race), women s javelin (qualifying result of 61 m), and men s pole vault (minimum result of 5,70 m) competing in the Berlin meeting. For further information, please contac t: DKB-ISTAF Media Office Fon: Fax: press@istaf.de

7 TIME SCHEDULE 66. Internationales Stadionfest, September, 16th :45 intermediate 50m super sprint heats 12:15 intermediate school relay heats 16x50m 12:30 Men pole vault 12:35 Women javelin 1:00 Final heats 50m super sprint 1:45 Final heats school relay 16x50m 1:50 Winners ceremony super sprinter 1:55 Women 4x100 + men (blind) 2:00 Winners ceremony school relays 16x50 2:05 Presentation DKB-ISTAF 2:30 Men 400m Women pole vault 2:35 Women high jump 2:40 Women 5000m 2:45 Men triple jump 3:05 Men 400m hurdle 3:10 Men javelin 3:15 Women 800m 3:30 Men 110m hurdle 3:40 Women 200m 3:50 Men 200m 4:05 Women 100m hurdle 4:15 Men 1500m 4:25 Women 100m 4:35 Women 400m 4:45 Men 100m 4:50 IAAF Golden League ceremony/jackpot s ceremony 5:00 End of the DKB-ISTAF 2007 (as of September 10 th 2007, the meeting reserves the right to all possible changes).