Greetings, all: Sacramento's bid to host the 2005 World Veterans Athletic Championships -- the world WAVA meet -- was nipped in the bud Saturday, Dec. 2, at the USATF national meeting when the USATF Masters T&F Committee voted by about a 3-to-1 ratio against supporting the Olympic Trials city as the U.S. candidate. According to those present in Albuquerque, N.M., for the discussions, the national USATF office in Indianapolis failed to inform all 56 USATF member associations of the availability of the 2005 world WAVA meet. In communications with the associations, the Indy office reportedly listed other upcoming championship domestic and foreign meets that associations could bid for -- but not the WAVA meet. As a result, Sacramento's lone bid to host the 2005 meet was considered unfair, since other associations hadn't received official notice that they, too, could seek USATF Masters backing as a bid city. Because of this hypertechnicality, Sacramento (and any other American city interested in bidding to host WAVA) must wait until 2003 for a chance to host the 2007 WAVA meet. Buffalo, N.Y., was the last American city to host the WAVA meet, in 1995. Eugene, Oregon, which hosted the world WAVA meet in 1989, reportedly has no interest in making a bid in the foreseeable future. With Sacramento failing to get USATF Masters backing for WAVA, the 2005 meet appears to be a race between San Sebastian, Spain; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and either Helsinki or Lahti, Finland. Delegates to the 2001 world WAVA meet in Brisbane, Australia, will choose the 2005 meet host from these and perhaps other candidates in July 2001. Ken Stone http://www.masterstrack.com
