Who Gets the Blame for Poor Attendance at Olympic Festival?

Why did the Olympic Festival fail to meet the expectations of its organizers? Mayor Bradley blames The Times, others blame Los Angeles itself, I blame the organizers.

Case in point: On Friday, July 19, I called the Olympic Festival information number to find out the times for gold medal games in water polo. I reached a a tape recording that provided no information other than how to buy tickets. Earlier in the week, we had attempted to reach friends housed in the dorms at USC. The people in charge were completely unaware that there were over 50 women water polo players on the USC campus.

I have talked to several athletes who attended the Olympic Festivals in Oklahoma City and Minneapolis-St. Paul. According to their accounts, these festivals were much better organized and a lot more fun.

Because of incredibly poor organization and planning, many people missed a chance to see some of the most talented, young athletes in America. Let’s hope that San Antonio does a better job in 1993.

AUSTIN GALLAHER, Pacific Beach