Posted: May 21, 2005

Athletics: East Joins West in the 2005 Vancouver Sun Harry Jerome International Track Classic

VANCOUVER - The People's Republic of China will send a contingent of athletes to compete in the 2005 Vancouver Sun Harry Jerome International Track Classic at Burnaby's Swangard Stadium.

Dr. Doug Clement, chair of the meet organizing Achilles International Track and Field Society, confirmed China's historic participation Friday at a news conference in Vancouver.

"With Beijing preparing to host the 2008 Summer Olympics, our meet will serve as an opportunity for some of China's competitors to experience international competition away from home," he said.

"This kind of experience can only help them as they work to qualify for their country's 2008 Olympic team and for the honour of representing their nation in front of home country Olympic fans. This is a marvelous opportunity for Canada, China, and Jerome meet competitors from other countries and it adds a major international dimension to our meet."

The annual Jerome meet, slated this year for June 14, has traditionally served as an invitational international event featuring athletes from as many as 20 countries. But China's commitment to field a team in 2005 has inspired organizers to highlight China's participation by including an intra-meet competition between the Canadian and Chinese athletes - the Pacific World Cup, presented by Paystone.com.

Six events will be designated as Pacific World Cup events, with the results of Chinese and Canadian athletes achieving points based on their placing in the events. The team with the highest score at the end of the meet will be awarded The Pacific World Cup in what meet organizers hope will be an annual meeting celebrating competition between two upcoming Olympic host nations - China in 2008 and Canada in 2010.

Meantime, all competitors will be vying for the $50,000 US in meet prize money while striving to attain qualifying standards for the August world track and field championships in Helsinki, Finland.

In April 2005 the Canadian Olympic Committee signed a bilateral agreement with the Chinese Olympic Committee at a special ceremony in Beijing. The agreement commits to providing Canadian athletes early access to training and acclimatization sites prior to the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing. In turn, Chinese athletes will be offered reciprocal training in Canada regarding their preparation for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver.

The agreement also commits to closer cooperation between the two National Olympic Committees in the sharing of information and opinions on international sport matters.

China's commitment to send athletes to the June 14 Jerome meet comes in the spirit of this recent agreement and could set the stage for other exchanges and sporting opportunities between these upcoming Olympic host nations.

China finished third second over-all in medal total behind the United States (103) and Russia (92) with 63 medals at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. But China also finished those Games ranked second behind the U.S. when rankings were based on gold medals won, with the Americans coming out top with 35 gold and China close behind with 32. As the host nation in 2008, there is no doubt Chinese athletes are already training hard to surpass that impressive 2004 medal haul.

Both nations have yet to confirm the roster of competitors assigned to compete in the Pacific World Cup designated events, although Clement predicts both teams will enter the most competitive athletes possible.

"We know in some events Canadian and Chinese athletes are very close in the rankings, which should make for some exciting, and entertaining, competition," he said.

The Vancouver Sun Harry Jerome International Track Classic is one of five events that make up the PacifiCanada Track and Field Series. The series begins June 10 with the Victoria International Track Classic then continues June 12 with the Review Kajaks International Track Classic in Richmond. The action then moves to Burnaby June 14 with the Jerome meet.

The series culminates with the Abbotsford International Track Classic on June 16 and the Canadian and B.C. 10,000-metre championships, also in Abbotsford, on June 17.

The 2005 Vancouver Sun Harry Jerome International Track Classic, featuring the Pacific World Cup presented by Paystone.com, goes at 7 p.m., June 14 at Swangard Stadium in Burnaby.

Tickets available at Ticketmaster.