2012 Olympic Trials: Omaha?

From the Omaha World Herald: Published Thursday January 15, 2009 U.S. Swim Trials for Omaha a 'done deal' BY RICH KAIPUST AND MAGGIE O'BRIEN OMAHA WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITERS Agreements are in place that could allow Omaha to host both the College World Series and the U.S. Olympic Trials in 2012, with perhaps one day between the events. Omaha and USA Swimming could hammer out the primary elements of a contract by this weekend and complete it in the next two weeks, said Harley Schrager, chairman of the Omaha Sports Commission. That would keep USA Swimming from seeking proposals from other cities for the 2012 Trials. "It's a done deal as far as we're concerned," Schrager said Wednesday. USA Swimming Executive Director Chuck Wielgus said he did not foresee major snags. "We are making forward progress," Wielgus said. "We are very excited about that. It doesn't mean we don't have some hurdles to get over, but we are committed to working with the Omaha Sports Commission folks." Six weeks ago, it appeared that the CWS and the U.S. Olympic Trials could not coexist in 2012 because of clashes over dates and Omaha's inability to handle overlap in events at the Qwest Center Omaha and the baseball stadium that will be built to the northwest. But swimming coaches agreed to start the Trials in late June, about 1½ weeks later than they initially wanted. The tentative dates for 2012 in Omaha would be June 27 through July 4 leaving a smaller window than in 2008 between the U.S. Trials and Summer Olympics. On Wednesday, the NCAA notified the Metropolitan Entertainment and Convention Authority that it would start the 2012 CWS one day earlier than originally planned. The college baseball tournament will start on a Friday rather than a Saturday and run from June 15 through June 25 or 26. Omaha Sports Commission President Harold Cliff was on the phone with Wielgus and Mike Unger of USA Swimming for an hour Wednesday after hearing the NCAA news. Cliff said both parties were confident that a deal would be reached. "No one anticipates an issue here," Cliff said. "It's really just a matter of getting down to work." Schrager said it was "truly a team effort" in reviving the Omaha doubleheader that had seemed all but buried last month. Among those heavily involved, he said, were Mayor Mike Fahey; David Brown of the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce; John Hildenbiddle of Mutual of Omaha; David Sokol of MECA; and Jack Diesing Jr. of CWS of Omaha Inc. Fahey said he was thankful to the NCAA for being flexible, especially because it's not easy to move the CWS start date when dealing with the different teams and the organization's television contract with ESPN. "We are extremely ecstatic," the mayor said Wednesday night. "That is exactly what we wanted to happen." Sokol, the MECA board chairman, said it would be logistically impossible for Omaha to host both the CWS and U.S. Trials at once, saying parking, lodging and crowds could create havoc downtown. Last summer's Swim Trials drew a record 160,003 fans to the Qwest Center over eight days and 15 sessions. Last year's CWS drew a record 330,099 for 16 sessions at Rosenblatt Stadium. The downtown baseball stadium is scheduled to open in 2010. "Everyone who attended the Olympic Swim Trials knows how incredible this event was for Omaha," Sokol said. "The NCAA recognizes what the return of the Trials means to our community, and is willing to do its part to bring the Trials back to Omaha." As a result of the reconfigured dates, the real adjustment in 2012 must be made by swimmers qualifying for the U.S. Olympic team. In 2008, the U.S. Trials concluded July 6 and the Beijing Olympics started Aug. 8. In 2012, the U.S. Trials would end July 4. The London Olympics will begin July 27. After the Beijing Games, U.S. national coach Mark Schubert and heads of the major swimming programs had set June 17 to 24 as ideal dates for 2012. In later negotiations, USA Swimming said it would agree to start the 2012 U.S. Trials on June 13 if the CWS moved its dates back, but the NCAA declined and both sides declined a later attempt to make it work. In reconsidering, U.S. swimming officials decided that they could compensate for the smaller window by tightening what in effect is training camp for their Olympians. Swimmers will not be allowed to go home or take days off before beginning preparations for London. "A big part of it is the fact that our top coaches really want to see the event back in Omaha," Wielgus said. "It was such an awesome experience, and now everybody kind of knows what they're going into and they're very comfortable. And one thing athletes and coaches like to be is comfortable with their environment."