THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 23, 1995 TAG: 9507230224
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TOM ROBINSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BOULDER, COLO. LENGTH: Medium: 55 lines
``The executive committee reached a conclusion that out of fairness to the (two) cities who have shown a keen interest in the 1997 Festival, that with the dwindling preparation time remaining, we are not likely to stage the '97 U.S. Olympic Festival,'' Walker said.
Richmond and Seattle were considered the front-runners to play host to the next '97 Festival, which has been held in every non-Olympic year since 1978.
Former Olympian John Lugbill, the leader of Richmond's attempt to get the Festival, is in Denver but could not be reached for comment.
Walker said the Olympic Committee is studying the large number of competitive outlets now available to athletes and whether the Festival can be viable in that climate. The Festival has lost importance, and become a financial drain, recently as more of the country's top athletes have chosen to forgo competing in it.
``We really felt that it would not be fair to postpone (further) our decision on staging the 1997 Olympic Festival,'' Walker said. ``The USOC is committed to finding the most productive ways to serve our athletes and their needs.''
LOCAL UPDATE: Norfolk's Scott Walsh and his partner Eric Edmonds were tied for third, out of four teams, in the men's lightweight double sculls after Saturday's second round. Walsh and Edmonds were last in Saturday's race and got one point. The final round is today. ... Virginia Beach's Chris Elmore did not pitch in the East's 9-5 loss to the West in baseball Saturday. ... Artistic roller skater Tim Jeffries of Virginia Beach was third after his short program. A slip on one of his easier moves, Jeffries said, left him trailing.
OTHER SATURDAY RESULTS: Tony Goskowicz, a 17-year-old from New Berlin, Wis., picked up where he left off a year ago, setting festival records in winning the 1,500-meter and 500-meter speed skating titles. Last year, Goskowicz won gold medals in the 500, 1,000, 1,500, 3,000 and the 5,000 relay. Collins, Colo., the two-time festival defending champion, lost a 12-9 decision to Dana Rucker of Baltimore. And 18-year-old Thomas Martin of Miami upset Lawrence Clay-bey of Hartford, Conn., 34-25, in a heavyweight bout. ... Kent Ferguson and Reyne Borup came away with diving gold medals. Ferguson, 32, of Miami Beach, Fla., scored 719.52 points on the 3-meter springboard to hold off Mark Bradshaw of Columbus, Ohio, who had 709.47. The 28-year-old Borup, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., scored 278.10 to win the 1-meter springboard gold. ... Angela Nikodinov, 15, of San Pedro, Calif., skated a clean program to lead after the short program in ladies' figure skating. Only three of the eight competitors got through their routines without falling or stumbling. MEMO: The Associated Press contributed to this report.
by CNB