How come theres been no celebration on this board that FINA chose USMS and Stanford to host the 2006 World Masters Championships?? I think its a great reason to celebrate!
this was addressed just the same day that it was awarded to the US. Look back a few threads and u will see it. It is a great opportunity for all the masters in the US to attend and see and feel how a gigantic meet is run.
I read the posting/announcement a couple days ago here on the forum. I am thrilled that the meet is here in the US! I went to the World meets in Indy and Montreal (both LC) and they were quite an experience!
Matt,
Michael Moore and the Organizing Committee have already addressed most of the issues with capacity and transportation, in their bid to FINA. They did a tremendous job in finding solutions to these. You should contact Michael if you have specific concerns.
And while I totally agree that the Bay area has its share of crowding and transportation problems, I don’t see the addition of 7,000 to 10,000 people having much of an impact.
Somehow, despite all odds, the Bay area manages to host hundreds, if not thousands of conventions and conferences every year.
I can't think of a better place to hold this meet. Stanford is world class in every regard. Every major metro area in the world has traffic and crowding issues and few are as beautiful as the SF area. I'd be interested in a better locale if you can present one with better facilities, hotels and touristy type things to do.
Folks,
I am thrilled for the folks in Pacific Masters and all of us in USMS that we will host the next World Championships. Good job to all who made this happen, and best of luck organizing the meet.
I do have to confess a small measure of disappointment over the site of the meet. I am not a big fan of the SF Bay area, which to me is Manhattan with more traffic and less parking. For those who have never been, by all means go. There is much about the Bay area that is magical and not to be missed if you have never seen it. However, I traveled there frequently when I was stationed at a unit whose parent command was on Naval Station Treasure Island. Despite the Bay area magic, I could not really get accustomed to the very significant crowding problems.
Now, we have the most heavily attended meet in all of Masters swimming going to one of the areas with the biggest problems with people density. All aquatics disciplines crowding into one venue...I smell a real problem brewing here.
Since we have two years before the meet, there is plenty of time to plan around the issue. For the meet organizers, I personally would like to hear in the run up to the Championships updates on your plans to address the crowding and transportation issues. I would very much like to attend, but if the hassle of getting to the pool and warming up looks like it will overshadow the experience of competition, I may wait for 2008.
Please, convince me I am wrong.
Matt
I'm wondering why people would think those issues wouldn't be addresed?
Especially with planning such a large event, the organizers know that transportation is one of the big things that come into planning a successful event.
It's not the beginners that get awarded organizing such large events.
