6 Nations In Bidding For 2011 World Champs

[gh]

Considering the weight that Europe packs in OG voting, I'm guessing that two trips to Asia in three Games won't happen. And we're getting closer and closer to the point where they'll feel that an African or South American siting is absolutely mandatory.

[Halfmiler2]

We had a Headline a couple of months back with somebody saying Philadelphia would be a good fit. last year, both SF and LA made rumblings. And there are ongoing rumblings about Chicago and NYC, yes.

Japan and Italy are alreday making serious noises on the international front. Go to the Headlines section and type "16" into the search function for a collection of pieces we've run.

With Ubberroth the Chair of the USOC, one would have to think LA would be a possibility.

[Thor]

Croatia (Split) has made a bid too.

http://www.iaaf.org/news/Kind=512/newsId=34198.html

[gh]

See front page for SF Chronicle story with some Masback quotes relative to the U.S. bid.

[EPelle]

Do you ever sleep (05.09)?

[tafnut]

I love all the equivocation:

Nine countries responded, the United States among them -- although a specific city was not mentioned. Perhaps that's because at present no facility in the U.S. is adequate for hosting track and field's premier event outside of the Olympic Games.

Ironic, isn't it, that the strongest track and field country in the world does not have a stadium suitable for holding the World Championships? Or does it?

If the IAAF, which wants to hold its biennial event in the U.S. at some point, lowers its standards for seating capacity, there might be a chance if a facility is made world-worthy. Edwards Stadium in Berkeley, Texas' track stadium in Austin and Sacramento State, site of the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Trials, come to mind.

gh once stated (altho I'm sure it was hyperbole for effect) that the IAAF would NEVER allow the WC here. We want to bid - the IAAF 'wants' us to host - yet the richest nation on the planet, with the greatest media/advertising savvy in the world, can't pull it off? Oh please.

[gm]

re: which city in the US can bid....

the Astrodome is still availabe :lol:

[tandfman]

re: which city in the US can bid....

the Astrodome is still availabe :lol:

You're apparently not serious, but in any event, I'm pretty sure that a 400m track would not fit in the Astrodome.

[gm]

I am semi-serious, and yes, it would.
The IAAF has already approved, in concept, an "indoor" arena.

For that matter, the Superdome would work too...

[tandfman]

I am semi-serious, and yes, it would.

You're undoubtedly more familiar with that building than I, but I did attend a couple of the indoor meets that were held there way back when (late '60's, early '70's), and I'm pretty sure the reason they had a five-lap-to-the-mile track was that a 400m track would not fit. My recollection of how the board track fit on that floor is consistent with that conclusion. Of course. it's possible that with some relatively minor re-construction (like the removal of some seats), a 400m track would indeed fit.

Then all we would need is someone to put up the bucks needed to finance the thing. That has apparently been the principal deterrent to the US's bidding for even lesser events.