Topic: News: Olympic weightlifting event may not be held in Mobile, after all

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

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Olympic weightlifting event may not be held in Mobile, after all
By DAN MURTAUGH

Mobile officials were struggling Tuesday to figure out what's happening with a U.S. Olympic weightlifting event they believed was coming to Mobile later this year.

At Tuesday's City Council meeting, President Reggie Copeland said the city was in danger of losing the event because the Mobile Bay Convention and Visitors Bureau was refusing to pay $10,000 it had promised in order to host the competition.

"This would be a black eye for the city," Copeland said. "This is the U.S. Olympic team. We don't get many shots at that."

According to Copeland, the city was supposed to get an event in December.

USA Weightlifting's Web site does not list any events in Mobile that month, but it does list one event, the American Open, as having a to-be-determined location. It's the only event on the Web site that does not have a location listed.

USA Weightlifting officials could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

Bud Ratliff, with the Mobile Bay Sports Authority, said the city has until Friday to work out a deal with USA Weightlifting.

Mobile Mayor Sam Jones said he first heard about the problem Tuesday morning, and by Tuesday night had not learned all the details because officials with the Convention and Visitors Bureau were out of town on a recruiting mission.

Bureau spokeswoman Harriet Sharer confirmed that. She said Bureau President Leon Maisel was in meetings all night and could not be reached.

After Tuesday's council meeting, Copeland said Jones told him the city would cut the funding it normally gives the bureau by $10,000 for the upcoming year in order to pay USA Weightlifting, if the bureau does not come up with the funds.

Tuesday night, Jones said that option is a possibility. But, he said, he would wait to hear from the visitors' bureau before making any decision.

Bureau officials may no longer believe the event is worth the investment because of the current economic climate, he said.