2002's Golden League jackpot winners receive their prizes

Don't know your Bislett from your Weltklasse? Don't worry.

The Golden League is a simple idea.

It's made up of Europe's six biggest single-day athletics meetings of the summer. In 2003 that means the Bislett Games in Oslo (27 June), the Meeting Gaz de France in Paris (4 July), the Golden Gala in Rome (11 July), ISTAF 2003 in Berlin (10 August), the Weltklasse in Zurich (15 August) and the Ivo Van Damme Memorial in Brussels (5 September).

The League was introduced in 1998 to unify and promote the elite individual European meetings.

For competing athletes, the concept is simple: win your event at all six Golden League events and share a jackpot of $1m worth of gold.

Last year the jackpot was split between four athletes - Marion Jones, Hicham El Guerrouj, Felix Sanchez and Ana Guevara.

Because of the jackpot and the big prize money on offer, the Golden League attracts the best athletes in the world.

There are 12 Golden League events in 2003, six each for men and women.

Men can compete in the 100m, 800m, 3000/5000m, 110m hurdles, pole vault and javelin. Women compete in the 100m, 800m, 1500m, 400m hurdles, high jump and triple jump.