The inaugural Winter Goodwill Games will be held in
Lake Placid, NY, from February 17-20, 2000, and officials
said yesterday that the "top athletes in 11 selected sports"
will be invited to participate in the event which will
highlighted by 16 hours of TV coverage on TNT, according to
Karen Allen of USA TODAY. While the '98 Goodwill Games
offered $5M in prize money, the winter version "will offer
considerably less." Games President Mike Plant said the
purse will be "in seven figures" (USA TODAY, 8/18). Plant
said that the event's purse will be "the biggest athletic
prize purse in multisport winter sports history" and will
"be a precursor to" the 2002 Winter Olympic Games (SALT LAKE
TRIBUNE, 8/18). Olympic Regional Development Authority
Chair Ted Blazer, whose company is planning the event in
conjunction with the Goodwill Games staff, said the event
will feature "solid ticket plans with reasonable prices"
(Plattsburgh PRESS REPUBLICAN, 8/18). Tickets will range
from $10-46 and go on sale August 23. For information can
be obtained via http://www.goodwillgames.com (THE DAILY).
