Citing the chance of retaliation before the 2000 Olympics and the need to play within an international community, USOC executive directore Dick Schultz turned down a last-minute request to reserve the velodrome in Colorado Springs, Colorado for the US team from June 12-July3, about two weeks before the Atlanta Olympics.
But he said the velodrome will remain open to Australians only if US athletes have first crack at the best training times.
Editorial note from Bill: this has been dragging on for ages. The Americans are scared of the Australian track strength as evidenced at the recent Worlds. So what was their reaction? Stop the team using the high altitude and make them go down to the less hospitable Mexico. Sporting spirit be hanged. The recent capitulation by the Americans is only b/c they think we might do the same to them in 2000 and make them train in Fiji or somewhere. Well, not every nation is as obsessed with themselves as that. I think we would have taken the sporting line no matter what had happened in Colorado.
Before the final hunt it was clear that one of these 3 pairs would win: number 7 Veggerby/Madsen with 297 points number 6 Risi/Betschart with 290 points number 2 Martinello/Villa with 289 points Notice that Veggerby/Madsen is just 3 points away from a bonus lap (Remember no bonus labs in the last hunt). In the final one hour hunt, did no one get a lead in laps. This meant that the final 5 sprints (for 10,6,4,2 point) became VERY important. Here is the result of these 5 sprints: 1. sprint 6,7,2 2. sprint 6,2,7 3. sprint 2,6,7 4. sprint 2,6,7 5. sprint 6,2,7 This means this final result: Risi/Betschart with 332 points Martinello/Villa with 325 points Veggerby/Madsen with 319 points Notice that Martinello/Villa would have won if they had won the last sprint. The result means that these 3 pair have won each 2 races this season.