Pan Am Venue Overhaul; 2013 World Games; China Report

Pan Am Venue Plans Overhauled

Organizers of the Toronto 2015 Pan American Games are culling the dozens of single-venue sites proposed by their original 2009 bid book into just eight clusters.

"This innovative concept represents a fundamental shift in the overall venue plan," Toronto 2015 CEO Ian Troop revealed Friday during a conference call with reporters.

"Clustering allows us to utilize existing venues where more sports can be played, where spectators can experience more sports in one area and create hubs where communities across the Greater Golden Horseshoe can gather to celebrate the Games."

He pointed to prudent financial management of public funds as the foremost benefit of "clustering" and cited as a famous example of the concept London Olympic Park, host of eight sports during the 2012 Games.

Troop added that he remains confident all venues will be ready for test events in 2014 despite calls from conservative politicians for organizers to open their books and prove Toronto 2015 is truly on budget and on schedule.

"How can you be on time if you’re all of a sudden hitting the reset button on 60% of your venues?" Tory MPP Rod Jackson was quoted Friday by The Toronto Sun.

It’s still unclear where the eight clusters will go as well as how much organizers hope to save from the changes. No financial figures were released during the conference call.

Colombian President Receives World Games Flag

Colombia’s president, Juan Manuel Santos, received the World Games flag Friday as part of the launching ceremony for the 2013 World Games in Cali.

"We shall also do everything possible to make the ninth edition of The World Games, staged next year in Cali, the best ever," Santos said. "We shall get ready for winning a lot of medals, not just for welcoming athletes."

JoiningSantos were Ron Froehlich, President of the International World Games Association; Cali mayor Rodrigo Guerrero; Valle governor Héctor Fabio Useche; new sports minister Andrés Botero and organizing committee president Rodrigo Otoya, among other top executives from national and local rovernment.

"I feel very happy to be in Cali, to have the support of the National Government, the Governor of Valle del Cauca and the Mayoralty of Cali," Froehlich said. "This will be the most important sports event of 2013."

During the ceremony, Santos and Useche pledged millions of pesos from theirgovernments to support the Games, scheduled for July 25 to Aug. 4.

China Report …

… Chinese weightlifting coach Liang Xiaodong, 52, died of sudden cardiac arrest caused by overwork on the first day of Chinese New Year. Liang, who raised world champion Wang Mingjuan and Olympic gold medalist Le Maosheng, served as managing director of Hunan Weightlifting. He had been battling congenital heart disease. "We lost a great coach and great manager," reigning 56kg Olympic champion Long Qingquan tells ATR. "We are in shock."

… World championship silver medalists China stunned host nation Japan 18-6 at the Asian Water Polo Championships last week to book a spot at the 2012 Olympics. Women’s water polo is considered by some to be the only team sport in which China has a chance to fight for gold in London. "Winning a medal will be a possible," head coach Jane Giralt Juan said after qualifying for the Games. "Although we came in second at Shanghai 2011, we are not taking any advantages while playing other teams such as Greece, Russia and Italy. London will be very difficult for us."

Media Watch

The London Evening Standard says Tube unions are "being too greedy" in rejecting an Olympic pay bonus.

Courtesy of the Olympics, cycling will generate a nearly $5 billion boost to the British economy.

Sunday’s New York Times was full of Olympic stories:

On the front page was a profile of the struggles of Greek athletes hoping to qualify for the Olympics. Sport was not spared any austerity following the country’s economic collapse.

The Travel section offers an "Olympic preview" of London’s East End.

Olympic legend Rulon Gardner hopes to return to the Olympics this year, eight years after indicating his retirement.

Five other Olympic greats are also hoping to stage improbable comebacks.

The Magazine has a multimedia feature on U.S. female Olympic hopefuls in boxing.

Written by Ed Hula III and Tencent's Norman Li.

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