The IAAF is delighted to announce that TDK Corporation has agreed to extend its long standing sponsor partnership until 2009.

TDK, who began working with the IAAF 20 years ago by becoming the Men’s Bib Partner for the first edition of the World Championships in Helsinki, will continue to be Bib Partner at the next three editions of the IAAF World Championships in 2005, 2007, and 2009. In a major new involvement, TDK has also agreed to become the title sponsor for the IAAF Golden League for 2004 and 2005.

President Lamine Diack speaking today, in Athens, Greece during the IAAF World TV Seminar said: ‘We are very proud to have a partner like TDK who appreciates the importance of the World Championships, which continues to be one of the world’s best sporting events, and also of the IAAF Golden League, which are the six top one-day meetings in the world, and a great promotion vehicle for our sport each summer. But aside from this, I also believe that this long term partnership shows that TDK believes that our sport has an important educational role to play and that athletics can help create a better society.’

In addition to acting as Bib Partners at the IAAF World Championships, TDK will also present the ‘World Record Programme’ award for Male Athletes who set world records at that event. All male athletes who break a World Record at the IAAF World Championships will be awarded a world record trophy and a prize of US$ 100,000.

As of the 2004 season, the IAAF Golden League will be known as the TDK Golden League, and TDK will also be the presenter of the US$ 1 Million Jackpot. The Partnership will begin at the first meeting of the Golden League at the Bislett Games in Bergen, Norway on 11 June. The other meetings are: Rome Golden Gala (2 July), Meeting Gaz de France Paris St-Denis (23 July), Weltklasse Zurich (6 August), Memorial Van Damme Brussels (3 September) and ISTAF Berlin (12 September).

For more information about TDK, please visit www.tdk.co.jp

For more details contact:

The IAAF Communications Department at +377 93 10 88 88 or dpt.communications@iaaf.org