Olympic Newsdesk -- Transparency for Chicago Olympic Bid; Bekele to Race Bolt?

(ATR) Financial disclosures from the Chicago bid show big spending... A long distance runner challenges Usain Bolt to a middle distance race... politics kicks Fiji out of Commonwealth Games.

Chicago Bid Committee Financial Figures Released; Big Pay Checks for Some

Figures disclosed in the required release of the Chicago Olympic bid committee show large salaries for top executives and millions paid to outside contractors.

The numbers, released in a stewardship report required for non-profits, show that the bid received $72.8 million in donations and pledges from 1,500 donors and spent $48.3 million.

Chief operating officer David Bolger was the highest paid member of the bid, raking in $300,000 annually.

Chief Bid Officer John Murray and Doug Arnott, a venue and operations executive, were both paid $250,000. Other top staff members also received six-figure salaries, which as Chicago’s summary noted, “is very reasonable in comparison to similar roles in similar organizations.”

Nearly $10 million was spent on salaries.

PR firm Hill & Knowlton was paid $3.1 million for its work, Skidmore Owings & Merrill received $1.2 million for architecture planning, and HOK Sports was paid $1 million for its expertise in venue planning.

More than $1 million was spent on air travel, $1.7 million on lodging, and $3.5 million on advertising.

Bekele Ponders Race with Bolt

Olympic long distance runner Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia tells the Associated Press he is interested in a race with sprinting great Usain Bolt of Jamaica.

Bekele, the Olympic and world champion in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters, made his comments in Brussels, Belgium, where he is competing at the Memorial Van Damme meet, one of the IAAF’s Golden League competitions.

“If Usain agrees, if someone wants to organize this, I am ready,” he said.

The race would be in the 600-800 meter range – between Bolt’s usual distances of 100 and 200 meters and Bekele’s 5,000-10,000.

“I think I am pretty good at 600 meters,” Bolt told the AP last week, adding that he would “have no chance” above 800 meters.

Added Bekele, “Six-hundred meters is a good chance for him. I need some 800 meters, maybe 700 meters.”

Fiji Barred from Commonwealth Games

After refusing to meet demands that Fiji call for elections by next year, the Commonwealth of Nations formally suspended Fiji on Wednesday, and by extension, from the Commonwealth Games.

However, the Fiji Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee believes Fiji can still participate at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.

Vidhya Lakhan, president of FASANOC, said in a statement he thinks the Commonwealth Games Federation Constitution indicates the South Pacific country is still eligible to compete.

Lakhan cited article 7 of the constitution which reads “For the Commonwealth Games and generally in respect of all activities of the Federation and events under its control, there shall be no discrimination against any country or person on any grounds whatsoever, including race, colour, gender, religion and politics.”

Lakhan added “if, as it is reported, the Commonwealth Secretariat is saying that Fiji will not be allowed to take part in the 2010 Delhi Games, then that is a case of politics interfering in sports. The Commonwealth Games Federation should, in accordance with its own Rules and Regulations, just ignore it.”

To be on the safe side, Lakhan said he wrote to the CGF for clarification.

“On these grounds, we are continuing to operate under the assumption that Fiji will be participating in the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games.”

Sports Hubs Glasgow 2014 Legacy

The Scottish government revealed plans to develop community sports hubs as part of its $41.6 million legacy fund for the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

The community sports hubs will be created to encourage local residents to engage in sports and physical activities, using existing facilities.

“The 2014 Commonwealth Games offer vast opportunities to put Scotland on the path to a healthier and more successful future,” Scottish first minister Alex Salmond told BBC News. “The government has great aspirations for the event to be a catalyst for physical, economic and social regeneration.”

Sports development agency Sport Scotland will provide over $29 million in funding for the project.

The legacy plan is also designed to help in business development as well as encouraging health and fitness. It includes support for local companies to bid for contracts related to the Commonwealth Games as part of a strategy to help Scotland take advantage of the economic opportunities provided by the event.

Briefs…

…Olympic women’s triathlon gold medalist Emma Snowsill of Australia has dropped out of Sunday’s International Triathlon Union world championship series grand final on Australia’s Gold Coast. Snowsill said she wasn’t fully recovered from arthroscopic surgery on her hip in late July.

Ed Hula III and Greg Oshust..

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