Agnos Flip-Flops, Backs S.F. Olympics

In a near complete turnaround, San Francisco Mayor Art Agnos said Saturday, “I’d love to have the Olympics here.”

Citing “enormous implications to the city in costs for housing athletes and for security,” Agnos refused to sign an agreement Friday to keep San Francisco’s bid alive for the 1996 Summer Olympic Games.

Previously, he also had sided with Supervisor Harry Britt in insisting on a series of conditions the U.S. Olympic Committee would have to meet before San Francisco would make a formal bid for the Games. The mayor’s refusal to sign the bid agreement Friday appeared to all but doom the Bay Area’s hopes to host the international athletic competition.

Might Extend Deadline

But twenty-four hours later, when informed that the U.S. Olympic Committee might be willing to extend the deadline, Agnos said “the more time we get the more chance we have to work out a successful bid. I’d love to have the Olympics here.”

Agnos had been asked Tuesday for his “unqualified assurance” that he would eventually sign a contract required of all cities that host the Olympic Games. The U.S. Olympic Committee had wanted the letter for this weekend’s meeting in Minneapolis, where it was expected to name the finalists among competing American cities.

Atlanta, Nashville and Minneapolis-St. Paul also are in the running, but the Bay Area was considered a strong contender since housing for athletes and every arena except a bicycle racing facility are already available.

San Franciscans will vote June 7 on whether they would like to host the Olympics, even if the city already has lost the bid to do so.