On the Scene in Guadalajara: Pan Am Games Village; 2015 Bids; USOC Rising

Governor Emilio Gonzalez Marquez at the PASO meeting.(ATR/Panasonic:Lumix) Pan Am Village Drama Ends, For Now

A new location is chosen for the Pan American Village for the 2011 games in Guadalajara, averting a crisis that threatened to cost hosting the event. The new location was confirmed by the Pan Am Sports Organization, the general assembly opening Wednesday in the Jalisco state capital.

Jalisco Governor Emilio Gonzalez Marquez told the 150+ delegates at the opening of the PASO general assembly that Guadalajara will not disappoint as the host for 2011 Pan American Games.

"This is the responsibility we feel, not just to look good for Jalisco, Guadalajara or Mexico. We want to stand up with you for all the American nations. You will feel proud of these Pan American Games,” Gonzalez said in his speech.

After the Guadalajara city government abandoned plans two months ago to build the village downtown, a scramble has been underway to find a new site with the games less than two years away.

The new location in the northwest suburb of Zapopan was selected for the ease of construction and location close to the ring road and venues.

There is no word on the cost of the project, which will be developed by a private company.

Work would start in December on the complex which is supposed to house 7,000 athletes and officials.

The Guadalajara 2011 organizers are scheduled to deliver a complete report on the changes to the PASO Assembly Thursday.

PASO delegates such as Steve Stout, president of the Barbados NOC says he’s not comfortable with the village delays.

“I’m worried,” he says about the tight schedule for construction that also includes a new athletics stadium for 30,000 and an aquatics center.

PASO President Mario Vazquez Rana told delegates he never believed that the downtown village would work and had urged Guadalajara orgainzers to make the change earlier. He has established a three-member commission which is supposed to report weekly on Guadalajara construction.

Donuts, Politicians for 2015 Bids

The president of Peru is coming the Guadalajara to make a personal pitch for the Lima bid for the 2015 Pan Am Games. Alan Garcia won approval from the national assembly to make the trip for the Nov.6 final presentation. He will be the highest ranking government leader in Guadalajara for the 2015 bids.

Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty will be here for the Toronto bid along with the mayor and leaders of other governments involved with the Canadian bid. Canada minister of state for sport Gary Lunn is also expected in Guadalajara.

Colombian Colombian vice president Francisco Santos draws a crowd. (ATR/Panasonic:Lumix) vice president Francisco Santos arrived Tuesday night at the exhibit stand for Bogota where he was at the center of a media scrum from the sizeable Colombian and Peruvian press corps. Also coming for the bid is retired footballer Carlos "Pibe" Valderrama.

Columbian coffee is served at the Bogota stand, Tim Horton Bits the offer from Toronto. The bits are small ball-shaped donuts, one of the products of Tim Horton’s, a nationwide donut chain.

USOC Chief Wins PASO Seat

USOC chairman Larry Probst is making a quick entre into the leadership of PASO. As a first order of business Tuesday, the PASO Executive Committee invited Probst to join the group as a provisional member, subject to ratification by the PASO assembly. This is the first PASO meeting for Probst, who took over as chairman in October 2008.

“I told Mario Vazquez Rana in a meeting Monday that we very much wanted to be involved and a supportive participant and do everything we can to help with the work PASO is doing. And I’m personally committed to doing that,” says Probst. He says Vazquez Rana then made the offer for him to join the executive. USOC chair Larry Probst (l), takes a seat at the top table with the rest of the PASO leadership. (ATR/Panasonic:Lumix)

“Larry has made a great first step,” says Michael Chambers, president of the Canadian Olympic Committee, who sat next to Probst at the EC meeting.

“I think Larry is going to bring the presence of the USOC to the Olympic world that it perhaps that it hasn’t had in the past eight years or so.

Traditionally the U.S. holds a seat on the PASO committee, which had been held of late by Bob Ctvrtlik, ex-vice president international for the USOC. Even though he is out of the post and not coming to Gudalajara, Ctrvrtlik’s name card was still on the table at the EC meeting when it opened, replaced with one for Probst when he was okayed for the committee.

Probst says he regrets not being able to complete his first meeting at PASO; he leaves Wednesday afternoon to return to a board meeting of Electronic Arts, the company he chairs. It was a meeting scheduled more than a year ago, while the dates for PASO were set two months ago he says. Acting USOC CEO Stephanie Streeter will attend the final two days of the meeting.

CAS Chief Visits PASO

Mino Auletta, President of the Court of Arbitration for Sport, is attending the PASO assembly at the invitation of Mario Vazquez Rana.

Vazquez Rana explains that Auletta will be speaking to NOC leaders to help them understand better the workings of the Lausanne-based court.

Written by Ed Hula.