London DL meet looking good

[Mighty Favog]

With the announcement that the tax issues keeping Bilt from running in London have been worked out plus the meet being moved to the Olympic Stadium, the turnout could be very good.

The Telegraph's Simon Hart says "The huge number of people who have already registered for priority tickets on the UK Athletics website means there are high hopes that both sessions will be an 80,000 sell-out."

If it comes even close on just one of the two days, that would be amazing. Can anyone the last time a non-Olympic/Worlds meet had turnout exceeding 60k?

[Ned Ryerson]

If it comes even close on just one of the two days, that would be amazing. Can anyone the last time a non-Olympic/Worlds meet had turnout exceeding 60k?

Every year in Paris.

[dec7000]

If it comes even close on just one of the two days, that would be amazing. Can anyone the last time a non-Olympic/Worlds meet had turnout exceeding 60k?

Every year in Paris.

Plus, I believe, some years in Berlin and Brussels. With it being a twp day meeting I suspect the cumulative attendance will be some sort of record! It just needs a sponsor now but, hopefully, that will be announced soon.

[gh]

and in the cart-before-horse department, there is the small matter of the meet's actually being able to come to a financial accomodation with the Bolt camp.

[gh]

If it comes even close on just one of the two days, that would be amazing. Can anyone the last time a non-Olympic/Worlds meet had turnout exceeding 60k?

Every year in Paris.

Plus, I believe, some years in Berlin and Brussels. With it being a twp day meeting I suspect the cumulative attendance will be some sort of record! It just needs a sponsor now but, hopefully, that will be announced soon.

Berlin didn't draw 60,000 for the World Champs, so I'm guessing not for an invite either. The Brussels meet is listed as 47,000 SRO.

Paris's '12 attendance was 39,000+

As for 2-day attendance, the US/USSR meet at Stanford in '62 drew 150,000.

[Mighty Favog]

It's five months in the future so anything can happen. But if the turnout is anywhere near the number they're throwing around it would be tremendous for track and field. I couldn't recall any invitational bringing in numbers like that but I'm still a young 'un. Outside of a Worlds or Olympics, getting much past 50k is unusual; I think the Atlanta GP meet in '96 drew about 46k.

It may be nothing more than coincidence but all this good news about the London DL has come out right around the time of Stewart's departure.

[az2004]

london is the last diamond league meet before the moscow worlds

and the mens 200 is the sprint event, so if bolt wants to sharpen up before moscow, a 200 is available

i don't know what other evennts are availableafter london and before moscow

[nevetsllim]

If it comes even close on just one of the two days, that would be amazing. Can anyone the last time a non-Olympic/Worlds meet had turnout exceeding 60k?

Every year in Paris.

Perhaps not every year but I believe the attendance was 70,000-plus in 2005. They give away a lot of free tickets which heightens the attendances.

[John G]

This will sell out, no problem. I've lost count of the friends and family members who've never been to a meet who have told me they want to get tickets for this.

[eldanielfire]

and in the cart-before-horse department, there is the small matter of the meet's actually being able to come to a financial accomodation with the Bolt camp.

80,000 rabid fans for two straight days? I'm sure they will find some compensation.

[eldanielfire]

This will sell out, no problem. I've lost count of the friends and family members who've never been to a meet who have told me they want to get tickets for this.

Indeed. The Olympics has exploded interets in sport and Athletics is one of those at the front. people will see this as re-living last summers magical feeling.

[gh]

... I think the Atlanta GP meet in '96 drew about 46k.....

from Track Newsletter: "Organizers gave away/sold 67,643 tickets, with 43.328 bodies coming through the turnstiles. Perhaps 25% of the crowd left right after the formal ceremonies."

Translation: they didn't actually sell remotely as many tickets as one might have imagine, and in a building that size, the actual crowd for the meet rattled around in it.

The reality is that the meet—in the minds of ACOG—a technical runthrough that just happened to be going on following the formal opening of the stadium.

[Flumpy]

If Jess, Mo and Usain are in attendance this will sell out both days no problem.

In fact it could probably just be a junior meeting and thousands would flock to it.

I think people fom abroad may underestimate the allure of the Olympic stadium after last summer.

[mump boy]

and in the cart-before-horse department, there is the small matter of the meet's actually being able to come to a financial accomodation with the Bolt camp.

The tax has been waived specifically to make sure Bolt comes to London of course he'll be there