Greene prices himself out of Oslo Golden League meeting
( 2001-07-12 13:39 ) (7 )

World and Olympic 100 metres champion Maurice Greene has priced himself out of the Bislett Games Golden League meeting Oslo on Friday - and the meeting organiser blames other promoters.

Greene streaked to 100m victory in the first two Golden League meetings of the season, in Rome and in Paris last week, but the American will not be in his starting blocks in the intimate Bislett stadium on Friday.

Meeting organiser Svein Arne Hansen said on Wednesday that Greene's management team had first agreed he would run for an appearance fee of 75,000 dollars but then demanded more.

"It is the fault of the Paris organisers, they are idiots for paying him US$100,000," said a furious Hansen.

"We had agreed to pay him US$75,000 but then he wanted more."

Hansen said the organisers of the Paris meeting, which attracted a 58,000 crowd to the Stade de France, were endangering the carefully-negotiated appearance fees needed to ensure the sport's big names appear.

"I do not think they should do that if they want to work with us again," he said.