U.S. OLYMPIC FESTIVAL LOS ANGELES 1991 : NOTEBOOK : Salt Lake City to Move Ahead With Plans

After a meeting of the U.S. Olympic Committee’s executive committee Saturday, USOC President Robert Helmick said that he had received assurances from Salt Lake City, Utah, that it would go ahead with construction on $54-million worth of winter sports facilities.

A Salt Lake City group promised the USOC that facilities would be built for bobsled, luge, ski jumping, speed skating and biathlon, but there were indications that the city might reconsider after losing its bid last month to play host to the 1998 Winter Olympics. The International Olympic Committee awarded the Games to Nagano, Japan.

Helmick said that he believes Salt Lake City will bid for the 2002 Winter Games. The USOC already has designated the city as its candidate.

On another matter, Helmick said that Cuba should not take offense if the best U.S. amateur boxers do not attend the Pan American Games next month in Havana. The U.S. boxing federation is allowing its Olympic Festival champions to decide whether they want to attend the Pan American Games or the World Championships later this year in Australia. Most boxers have indicated that they would like to bypass Cuba.

Cuba’s boxers are among the best in the world.

“I support the decision by the boxing federation,” Helmick said. “I think they will do what is in the best interest of the athletes. We certainly did not intend it as a snub to Cuba.”