Canada's image takes a hit after event yanked out of Montreal

Ryan Wolstat

Canada's already dismal reputation on the international aquatic scene took another blow yesterday as Montreal was stripped of the 2005 world aquatic championships because of funding problems. In a unanimous decision, FINA, the world governing body for aquatic sports, announced that Montreal had not met the requirements to hold the July 17-31 event.

Linda Cuthbert, president of the Aquatic Federation of Canada said the news was devastating.

"Canada already has a reputation in international sporting circles of not really supporting (amateur sports), and this is not helping," she said.

"Any sport in Canada that wants to bid (to be host of) an international event is not going to have the confidence of the international representatives who are making the decisions."

Montreal mayor Gerald Tremblay vowed to get the event back.

The mayor said he would set up a committee to find companies willing to fill a roughly $6-million shortfall in sponsorship revenue, adding that Montreal would "guarantee" that the event's $36.5-million budget would be met.

For Canadian swimming legend Elaine Tanner, who won 17 national titles, seven Commonwealth Games medals and three Olympic medals, the removal of the competition from Montreal was a shameful, but not surprising, turn of events.

"It's embarrassing," Tanner said. "(Amateur sport) just isn't an important aspect of our culture.

"We have to look at sport as more of an investment instead of an expenditure. In other countries it is a priority and it isn't in Canada."

At the Athens Games, Canadian swimmers failed to win a single Olympic medal for the first time in 40 years.

Long Beach, Calif., and Athens are being touted as possible replacements for Montreal. FINA officials said they will announce the new site in mid-February.

Canadian athletes, who believed they were already qualified for the championships as members of the host country, now will have to compete at different regional qualifying events.

"It's a huge disappointment," said world champion diver Alexandre Despatie of Laval, Que.. "It's clear that someone didn't do the job and it is the athletes and coaches who are the losers.

Cuthbert said organizers for the event, which includes swimming, diving, water polo, synchronized swimming and endurance swimming, were just $6 million short in funding after receiving $5 million in contributions at the deadline.

"We were so close, we weren't that far off from finding a solution," Cuthbert said. "The damages are going to far exceed what it would have taken to make this happen."

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