The IAAF (International Amateur Athletic Federation) unified in 1998 the most prestigious athletic meetings to create the Golden League that includes, as well as Memorial Ivo Van Damme, the meetings of Oslo, Paris, Rome, Zurich and Berlin.

The athletes, that win their discipline at the time of six meetings, can claim a share of the jackpot which, this year, is 1 million dollars.

For the first edition, Marion Jones, Haile Gebreselassie and Hicham El Guerrouj shared in the jackpot. In 1999, there are only two lucky athletes, Gabriela Szabo and Wilson Kipketer, they claimed 25 kilo of gold each. In 2000, five athletes have achieved their final aim : Gail Devers, Maurice Greene, Tatjana Kotova, Trine Solberg-Hattestad and Hicham El Guerrouj, who won for the second time. Hicham El Guerrouj is also one of winners in 2001 and 2002. In 2001, André Bucher, Allen Johnson, Marion Jones, Violeta Bedea-Skezely and Olga Yegorova were the others beneficiaries and in 2002, Felix Sanchez, Marion Jones and Ana Guevera completed the podium.