Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/166173
Sarasota News Leader September 6, 2013 Page 43 — a precursor to the Olympics that year. The competition will be broadcast to a worldwide television audience of 130 million people. "An estimated 40,000 spectators are expected to attend the event," the release adds. likely FISA may settle on the last week of September, but we will still [push] October. The bottom line, FISA has all the facts regarding our weather and they will make a very [intelligent] decision on this." Even more important, tourism officials have pointed to what Blackketter told the TDC on Jan. 17 was "a very conservative number" for the potential economic impact on the region: $24 million. He added, "[W]e are sending FISA weekly weather updates from now to end of October down to the hour so an educated decision is made." Although the exact date for the World Championships has not been set, Blackketter wrote in an Aug. 6 email to the Sarasota County Commission, "We originally proposed the first week of October … We provided all the data to FISA demonstrating that in later September our rain drops off, temperatures are cooler, [fewer] hurricanes and less humidity. Most When the 136-member FISA Congress made its formal announcement of the bid award on Sept. 2, the delegation present to represent Benderson Park included local government representatives from Sarasota and Manatee counties, Visit Sarasota County, the SunCoast Aquatic Nature Center Associates (SANCA) GOING FORWARD The meeting of the FISA Congress gets under way in Korea. Photo courtesy of Randall Reid/Sarasota County