World Indoor Athletics Championships ( in Perth??)

Egan · Post by **Egan** » Wed Dec 18, 2002 7:37 pm

WA may bid for indoor event

By Gene Stephan

EVENTSCORP is considering the merits of bidding for the 2006 world indoor athletics championships.

The WA Government's events marketing arm has had discussions with Athletics Australia about the possibility of hosting the prestigious event in Perth in March 2006.

But, before a formal bid can be considered and funded, Eventscorp must first satisfy itself of the benefits of staging such an event.

A spokeswoman for Eventscorp said the organisation would conduct a feasibility study on the economic benefits of hosting the event.

A formal bid would then have to be put to the sport's national controlling body, which would take it to an International Amateur Athletics Federation meeting in April.

Australia is favoured to host the world cross country championships and the world indoor athletics championships in 2006, to be run in conjunction with the Melbourne Commonwealth Games.

But international athletics officials are concerned the Commonwealth Games are scheduled in the same month as the cross country and world indoors and that athletes may have a succession of long-distance flights.

IAAF president Lamine Diack has asked Athletics Australia to submit bids for both competitions to cut travel.

AA executive director Simon Allatson said the world indoor championships would be a prestigious money-making event.

The three possible venues for the $4 million indoor event are Colonial Stadium in Melbourne, Burswood Dome's replacement in Perth and the Agricultural Dome at Homebush, Sydney.

Burswood Dome is due for demolition in 2004 but there has been talk of a smaller indoor stadium.

The Homebush option would be subject to financial support from the NSW Government.

" Perth may not be the sporting capital" but hopefully we edge melbourne out in the bidding for this event

argee · Post by **argee** » Thu Dec 19, 2002 1:09 am

I think that it is really good to see that a city like Perth puts itself forward to host international sporting championships like it does. Recently, the Women's Hockey & Water Polo World Cups were held there. Also, Perth has twice hosted the World Swimming C'Ships (1991, 1998) and World Triathlon C'Ships (1997, 2000). I think that the World Cycling C'Ships have also been held there at least once before (1997).
The IAAF is smart asking Australia to bid for World Indoors & Cross-Country. That way, athletes competing in either of those events and Comm Games will have to only move within one country.
Everyone should be satisfied by this compromise.

Jeffles · Post by **Jeffles** » Thu Dec 19, 2002 5:14 pm

This is good news. But I didn't know that the Burswood replacement was going to be that big. For a indoor athletics track you need a floor at east 70m long (a 60m straight runs down the middle for the 60m sprint). That's why Telstra Dome and The Dome in Sydney were mentioned instead of the SuperDome or Rod Laver Arena.

While I don't really care which Aussie city wins this, I am more interested to know about Burswood's replacement. It sounds interesting.

Egan · Post by **Egan** » Fri Dec 20, 2002 11:41 am

the proposed replacement was a 10,000 seat stadium, for Basketball and Tennis, I think or maybe this is a new one but I thought the Burswood Dome wasnt going to be demolished due to conditions that it had with the state government.

If we get this event it would probably just have been finished. If the Burswood Dome Stays I imagine a capacity of about 15,000. How many people would go to the same event at Colonial Stadium

joel · Post by **joel** » Fri Dec 20, 2002 12:25 pm

At least double that.

Jeffles · Post by **Jeffles** » Fri Dec 20, 2002 6:08 pm

Perhaps that many but I doubt it. First of al, you would have a reduced capacity Colonial (even with the retractable seats brought in, they'd probably close off one part for being too far away from the action. Also, the indoors do not attract the same hype or as many big name competitiors that the outdoors do. But I wouldn't put it past a Melbournian crowd to patronise an event like this in their droves.

Dan · Post by **Dan** » Tue Dec 24, 2002 10:36 pm

Indoor athletics is a joke.I remember they tried this in Australia about 6 years ago and it flopped.Carl Lewis punched out the promoter because it was such a farce.

Indoor athletics was invented in Europe to give athletes a chance to compete when outside it was snowing.

Obviously its silly if they compete indoors when its bright warm and sunny under Australia skies.Lets just stick to outdoors and compete for the REAL World Championships.

argee · Post by **argee** » Thu Dec 26, 2002 1:09 am

Unfortunately Dan, Australia's chances of hosting the REAL (outdoor) World Athletics C'Ships are about nil. It is usually held sometime during the Grand Prix & Golden League seasons in Europe. The possibility of athletes accepting a southern hemisphere c'ships is not likely. All types of acclimatisation issues would arise. And also, host cities are usually decided by the IAAF in relation to the desires of sponsors. Osaka was recently awarded the 2007 Worlds due to a deal with the national TV station in Japan which required that a Japanese city host before or in 2009. Unfortunately, none of the IAAF's major sponsors are Australian. That is why hosting the Indoors is a better option especially if the IAAF are liking the idea of maneouvring the 2006 event around the same time as Melbourne 2006 Comm Games when alot of top athletes will be in the southern hemisphere. There was that problem back in the mid 90's with that international indoors series getting cancelled, but that was mainly down to poor promotion and a lower than expected financial injection by sponsors.

Egan · Post by **Egan** » Thu Dec 26, 2002 12:25 pm

The Outdoor Athletics Championships nearly came to WA. It was between London and Perth and London won because they didnt want to come to the Southern Hemisphere. But this would do wonders and if we put a good performance on for the indoors we will be favoured for the outdoors, no matter who goes, it should be a competitive event and we will get to see australians in a worthwile event. Not just on the Australian Series, all in all it is a plus to the sport and a great event should be put on by the people of Perth

perthsmike · Post by **perthsmike** » Sun Jan 05, 2003 8:21 pm

i dont think the author of that article is familiar with the burswood proposal because it is not that big. On the other hand, there may be a new proposal which even we dont know about. but if it is, i would expect it to be publicised soon as there is only 3 years till 2006 and it would need to start soonish.

but what is the point of building another huge indoor arena??

mike