Great White Shark Provides Turf for Olympic Stadium

SYDNEY, Australia -- As billions of spectators around the world watch Olympic events contested in the Olympic Stadium, Australian native and internationally recognized golfer Greg Norman will be there to watch both the Games and the turf on the stadium floor. Athletes participating in track and field and soccer during the next three weeks will do so on 82,000 square feet of hybrid bermudagrass patented, licensed and sold by the Greg Norman Turf Company.

Known as CT-2 in Australia and GN-1 in the United States, the turf is grown on farms throughout the United States.

The Sydney Olympics mark the third time in two years the turf has been used as a surface for the world's most prestigious sporting events. GN-1 was also the turf for Major League Baseball's 1998 World Series matchup between the Atlanta Braves and New York Yankees at Turner Field in Atlanta, and was also used earlier that same year for the NFL's Super Bowl XXXIII in Miami between the Atlanta Falcons and the Denver Broncos. GN-1 is now the turf used by both the Braves and Miami Dolphins.

In the mid 1990s, Norman introduced the turf to the United States after realizing its potential on Australian golf courses. It has quickly became the standard by which other sports turfs are judged due to its dark green color, thick density and unrivaled ability to recover quickly from damage. As a result, while it is still an exceptional choice for golf course fairways and tees, it is unmatched as a turf for high-traffic sports stadiums such as Olympic Stadium.

"As an Australian, the honor of having GN-1 (CT-2) used in Olympic Stadium is magnified tenfold," said Norman, who is attending the games. "What makes me most proud, however, is that it was chosen simply because it is the best sports turf available. To have GN-1 used in the Games is a testament to its performance."

Established in 1995, Greg Norman Turf Company licenses proprietary turfgrasses for golf courses, athletic fields and home lawns. GNTC owns the exclusive rights for GN-1 hybrid bermudagrass, which has been its main product.

While GN-1 is the Greg Norman Turf Company's most high-profile turf, it also grows and markets other strains of turf including a new zoysiagrass, GN-Z and another hybrid bermudagrass, Aussie Green.

In addition to the Greg Norman Turf Company, Great White Shark Enterprises includes Greg Norman Golf Course Design, the Greg Norman Production Company, International Brands, Apparel Concepts, Greg Norman Estates, Norman Yachts International, Medallist Golf Developments, Greg Norman Interactive, and Greg Norman Collection as well as various licensing and merchandising relationships.