The BIGBANK Gold League final stage, which is taking place on Tuesday, 9 August, at the Viljandi stadium, will be the most representative and high-level athletics competition in Estonia, to which athletes from 26 countries have registered.

In addition to our own best, the competitors include athletes from Latvia, Lithuania, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Great Britain, France, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Israel, Turkey, Bulgaria, Greece, USA, Canada, Jamaica, Australia, Iran, Sudan and Nigeria.

As the level of the colourful and string athletes from different countries is high, new stadium records can be expected in nearly all events.

In men’s sprint distances, the line-up includes the world championship finalist, owner of the Azerbaijan and Turkish records, Ramil Guliyev (PB 100m 10,08; 200m 20,04), Ryan Shields (100m 10,27; 200m 20,51) from the sprinter’s paradise Jamaica, and Lerone Clarke (PB 9,99) who this year has run 100m with 9,90 due to faster than allowed tailwind. For the last time this season, the home audience will see Marek Niit.

In the 110 meters hurdles, Andres Raja will attempt to renew the Estonian record (PB: 13,89) and compete against with the semifinalist of the 2008 Olympics, Samuel Coco-Viloin (13,46) from France.

In men’s long jump, the pre-registration to the start includes seven men whose personal mark is over eight meters: French Salim Sdiri (8.42) who was hit by Tero Pitkamäki's javelin, American Trevell Quinley (8.36), Russians Pavel Shalin (8.33), Aleksandr Petrov (8.20), and German Alyn Camara (8.08), Marcos Chuva (8.03) from Portugal and Latvian Elvijs Misans (PB: 8.00)

In high-jump, there will be a competition between Ukrainian Anton Sayevych (2.28), Russians Roman Evgeniev (2.20), Nikita Anishchenkov (2.30) and the winner of the 2009 world championship in Berlin, Jaroslav Rybakov (2.38).

In men’s discus throw we can see the performance of the Olympic winner, Gerd Kanter. The honour of Mulgimaa to the home audience will be protected by Märt Israel, who has to conquer the Russian champion Bogdan Pishchalnikov, Australian Benn Harradine and Olympic bronze medal winner Aleksander Tammert. In the shot put sector, there will be a showdown between Latvian Maris Urtans (PB: 21.63), repeated Russian champion Pavel Sofin (PB:20.82) and the Ukrainian champion Andrei Borodkin (PB: 20.53).

In high jump, the Estonian record woman Anna Iljuštšenko will attempt to get the 20,000 euro award and has to compete against the Bulgarian Venelina Veneva (PB: 2.04; SB: 1.98), who is on the forth place in the world's season's ranking, Tatyana Mnatsakanova from Russia, who has jumped 1.95 this season, Deirdre Ryan from Ireland (PB: 1.93) and Natalija Cakova from Latvia (1.89).

The Russian Olga Balayeva, who has won all four stages in long jump this year, is in a similar situation to Iljuštšenko. The line-up includes, in addition to Balayeva (PB: 6.89), the Ukrainian Viktoria Molchanova (6.82) and Russians Oksana Zhukovskaya (6.77) and Viktoriya Valyukevich (6.72).

The line-up of the women's triple jump includes Yamile Aldama (PB: 15.29) from Sudane, the former junior's world and European champion, Russian Anastassia Potapova (PB: 14.68), Natalia Viatkina (14.32) from Belorussia and Veera Baranova (14.17).

The competition program will begin at 17:00 with pole vault. Ticket sales points at the gate of the stadium will be opened at 15:00.

Time schedule, results and additional information: www.bigbankkuldliiga.ee and www.facebook.com/bigbankkuldliiga

In 2008, BIGBANK concluded an agreement with the MTÜ Spordiürituse Korraldamise Klubi, pursuant to which the bank will support organising the most reputable athletics series of the Baltics - BIGBANK Gold League - for the next four years with a total of three million kroons.

BIGBANK is a credit institution based on Estonian capital with branches in Latvia, Lithuania, Finland and Spain, and which offers cross-border service also in Germany and Austria.

Additional information:

Mati Lilliallik
MTÜ Spordiürituste Korraldamise Klubi
GSM: +372 52 13 331
mati@kuldliiga.ee

Brit Vister
Press representative of the competition
GSM: +372 50 59 971
brit.vister@hamburg.ee