Y ask Y: National Masters News reports in its September edition that four cities have expressed "interest" in hosting the World Veterans Athletic Championships in 2005. (The 2001 meet is in Brisbane, Australia, and the 2003 meet will be in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.) The early hopefuls are: San Sebastian, Spain San Juan, Puerto Rico Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Sacramento, California, USA My thoughts on these four, plus some Web sites to check: San Sebastian http://travel.excite.com/show?loc=2647 http://www.cd.sc.ehu.es/DOCS/book.SS-G/v2/index.html After awarding successive world WAVA track meets to Australia and Malaysia, WAVA delegates in 2001 (when the 2005 site vote presumably takes place) may think it's time to return to Europe -- where the bulk of WAVA delegates reside. Also, Europeans love their summer vacations -- and southern coastal San Sebastian is Spain's answer to the South of France, with relatively cool summers. San Sebastian doesn't register high on the Sport-O-Meter, but that may not be an issue. More of an issue is San Sebastian's possible reputation as a tourist mecca. Translation: This trip won't come cheap. San Juan, Puerto Rico http://www2.gvsu.edu/~wilsonma/puerto_r.htm At the 1999 Gateshead WAVA Assembly, Puerto Rico was a bidder (along with Malaysia and Cesantico, Italy) for the 2003 meet. (See my report at: http://www.egroups.com/message/masterstf/744) But Gateshead delegates still had horrific memories of the heat, sickness and misery of the 1983 world WAVA meet hosted by Puerto Rico. However, PR may have been encouraged to bid again by the fact Kuala Lumpur -- a losing bidder for the 1997 and 1999 meets -- won the 2003 WAVA meet. But PR likely will lose again to better-financed and more sophisticated presentations. (PR's video in 1999 was a hoot.) PR will remain a long shot as long as anyone is still alive who can recall the unmitigated disaster that was 1983. Vancouver http://www.tourism-vancouver.org/docs/visit/index.html Canada hasn't hosted a world masters championships since the first -- Toronto 1975 (even before WAVA was formed). Besides being a wonderful place to visit (I'm told), Vancouver -- just north of Seattle, Washington, USA -- can boast fine track meet weather in late summer. The "X" factor in Vancouver's bid: Will Canadian bidders use Don Farquharson's name to pull votes? Don, who died recently, is a founding father of WAVA with many friends among the delegates. I can easily see WAVA approving Canada as host of the 2005 meet as a memorial to Don -- a thank-you for his more than three decades of work on behalf of the masters movement. It wouldn't be undeserved. Sacramento http://www.sacsports.com/ Of course, Sacramento got HUGE raves for its role as host of the 2000 U.S. Olympic Trials. The stands were packed every day, and the performances were outstanding. Also of course: It was hot as blazes during the prime-time afternoon hours. But a world WAVA meet wouldn't have to bow to TV ratings (lamentably), so Sacramento organizers would be free to schedule events in the cooler morning and late-afternoon/early-evening hours (just as Baton Rouge promises to do for the 2001 USATF masters nationals). I attended the last four days of the Trials, and weather was nice after dusk. Another possible plus: If Sacramento lands the 2004 Olympic Trials, moneyman Alex Spanos has pledged to build a cover to the stands for spectator relief. Masters would have it made in the shade in 2005. Downside: WAVA loves America -- but only up to a point. It awarded WAVA meets to the USA in 1989 (Eugene) and 1995 (Buffalo, New York). Ten years might be too soon for some delegates to return to Yankeeland. WAVA likes to spread the meets around. The bottom line: Vancouver will win. Delegates will be mindful that 2003 WAVA will have been held in one of the hottest places on earth. And Vancouver's coastal ambience will beat out Spain's based on the Farquharson Factor. See U in BC in 2005! Ken Stone http://www.masterstrack.com