Montreal was supposed to host the 2005 world aquatic championships. It ended in a belly flop. They couldn't find money to match their sponsorship goals (which maybe was set irrealistically too high).

I don't know where the championships will end up - maybe Long Beach? It was second in the bid process.


The story from the CBC:

Top officials from Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA) met in Germany on Wednesday and decided to take the event away from Montreal due to financial problems.

FINA will convene a short bid procedure and will announce a new host city no later than Feb. 15.

Montreal was originally scheduled to host the event from July 17-31, but ran into trouble over funding. Currently, an $8-million funding gap exists and recent efforts to secure significant corporate sponsorships from around 300 Canadian companies have fallen short.

Mustapha Larfaoui, president of FINA, met last Tuesday with organizers in Montreal and demanded assurances that "the approved expenditure budget will be respected."

He also met with Quebec Sports Minister Jean-Marc Fournier to discuss increased government funding, which stood at $28.5 million.

The championships, which were being billed as the largest sporting event to be held in Montreal since the 1976 Olympics, had received $38 million in public money out of a $60 million global budget.

The federal and provincial governments said they would not offer any more money, forcing organizers to seek corporate sponsorship.

It's believed that corporate sponsors did not step up because organizers have sold just $500,000 of a projected $6 million in tickets for the event.

The city of Montreal also poured more than $6 million into the event. Most of the money has gone to infrastructure projects, such as the construction of a new aquatic centre.

The Aquatics Federation of Canada and Tourism Montreal promised to pledge $500,000 each this week, but that still left Montreal organizers well short of the funding target.

The world aquatic championships rank third in global import behind soccer and athletics, with as many as 160 countries taking part in swimming, diving, water polo, synchronized swimming and endurance swimming.

I read Athens is a possible host. Germany could have a bid for Berlin or Munich. Australia is not interested.

Even Montreal doesn't seem to have given up, trying to get the decision reversed. The city is willing to give guarantees to FINA.

"I will not accept the decision," said Tremblay. "I will do everything in my power to make sure the event can take place as scheduled."

The mayor said he would set up a committee to find companies willing to fill a roughly $10 million shortfall in sponsorship revenue, adding that Montreal would "guarantee" that the event's $36.5 million budget would be met.

Lobbying efforts continue to get the Championships back. Montreal's Mayor will be going to Europe to meet FINA officials. He's giving the financial guarantees sought by FINA.

Canada's Heritage Minister spoke on the phone with FINA's president.

The mayor of Montreal came back from his meeting in Paris with some FINA officials. There will be another meeting soon.

The mayor is optimistic. He sees the event being held in Montreal at 50%. The IOC President who was in town is for Montreal. Personal letters are being sent to FINA members, governments assure them of their support.

Meanwhile FINA has annouced the candidate cities to hold the championships this summer. They are: Athens, Berlin and Moscow.

The head of the organizing committee of the 2005 world swimming championships of Montreal has been found dead in his car. He committed suicide with a gun.

He was heavily criticised after FINA decided to strip Montreal of the championships because of financial difficulties. Politicians blame the organizing committee. A few days ago 7 employees of the organization anonymously asked for his resignation.

Not sure what this news will do for Montreal's efforts to still hold the championships.

Wow -- maybe he was involved in some financial wrongdoing?

I've not heard specific allegations of financial wrongdoing other than people asking on what the the committe spent its money. Maybe there is something there but for the moment it looks like someone who couldn't put up with the blame and accusations.

From Canadian Press

Some criticized him also for going on Christmas vacation as planned while the Championships were in jeaopardy.

Final chapter: FINA reverses its decision and the World Aquatic Championships are again back in Montreal, thanks to the financial garantees and lobbying efforts.

Ian Thorpe is taking the year off and his coach confirmed he will not take part in the World Aquatic Championships this summer in Montreal.

Update on old story. It seems there was some financial wrongdoing. Maybe some lessons to learn on governance in sporting events organization.

Files vanished after CEO's suicide

-After he failed miserably as its chief executive, the World Aquatics Championships had just been pulled from Montreal. Now he was being circled by members of the board of directors, politicians and reporters suspicious about secret contracts the taxpayer-funded event had with two companies he owned.

-The files - related to his expense account and the championships' dealings with his companies - disappeared, some perhaps permanently, making a full accounting of the event's finances difficult, according to documents obtained by The Gazette under the federal Access to Information Act.

- The event was later revived, ending with a $4.8-million deficit, picked up by the city of Montreal. In total, $50 million in government money was poured into it.

-Sixteen months after the aquatics meet, questions linger about how the event spent taxpayers' dollars, including how much went to DesRochers.

- the extent to which, until DesRochers's death, board members overseeing millions of dollars in public funds were in the dark about deals DesRochers had with the event. (The board of directors was part of the organizing committee.)