Athens May Rescue Swim Championships

(ATR) Thereâ??s speculation that the Olympic pools of Athens could be a lifesaver for the FINA Swimming World Championships currently scheduled for July in Montreal â?? but now in doubt over lagging finances.

The complex of pools at the Athens Olympic Sports Park is believed to be the only facility in the world that could be ready to host the event on short notice.

The FINA Council will meet in an extraordinary session this week in Frankfurt, possibly deciding whether to drop Montreal.

Canadian organizers are still short at least $10 million needed to host the championships and FINA says it will not help. Already city provincial and federal governments have spent $23 million to build three new pools which are ready to go. The shortfall is blamed on low sponsorship revenue and slow ticket sales.

FINA officials and Montreal organizers have expressed the hope that the event will go on as planned, but one week after a crisis visit to Montreal by FINA President Mustapha Larfoui there still seems to be no solution to the budget gap.

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