Canada wins North American battle

November 20: Canada has defeated the United States in the battle to become the first North American city to stage the World Track and Field ...

November 20: Canada has defeated the United States in the battle to become the first North American city to stage the World Track and Field Championships. The International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) council voted overwhelmingly in favour of Edmonton ahead of Stanford University in California as the host city for the 2001 Championships.

IAAF sources said 22 of the 25 council members present on the first day of their two-day meeting voted for Edmonton and three for Stanford. Paris, the only other candidate after New Delhi withdrew, did not get a single vote.

Lisbon will host the World Indoor Championships earlier in 2001, winning council approval ahead of Budapest and the Swedish city of Borlange.

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The vote for the indoor championships went to two ballots after Budapest failed to win a clear majority in the first round. Borlange was eliminated and Lisbon emerged as the winner after the second round.

The Iaaf had been keen to give the outdoor championships to the United States to boost theflagging fortunes of the sport there and as recognition of the US pre-eminence in world athletics.

But council members were clearly impressed by the unequivocal financial guarantees given by the Canadians, including a three-year contract worth two million Canadian dollars (approx. Rs 55 million) with the Iaaf for television rights from 1999-2001.

Jack Agrios, co-chairman of the Canadian bid, also confirmed organisers would pay for accommodation and transportation to the venue.

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“The council has voted, by a great majority, because they were convinced that Edmonton could organise this event in a good manner,” Nebiolo said.

“We were all impressed by the guarantees made, the exposures promised and the overall presentation.”

The Championships, the third biggest global sporting event after the Olympic Games and the World Cup, has been staged outside Europe only once, in Tokyo seven years ago.

Alberta premier Ralph Klein, who assisted with the presentation, said the bid had the solid commitment of thenational, provincial and city governments.

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He said the 32-strong delegation was able to convince the council that it could organise the funding and the television rights.

Edmonton staged the 1978 Commonwealth Games and the 1983 World Student Games.

The Championships will be held in the Commonwealth Games stadium which will be upgraded to seat 65,000. Athletes and coaches will be housed at the University of Alberta. Next year’s World Championships are scheduled for Seville.