On Sept. 11, delegates to the WMA General Assembly in Riccione, Italy, will pick a site for the 2011 World Masters Athletics Championships. Whether this 9/11 will be a masters disaster depends on the assembly’s verdict. The bid cities are Sacramento and Porto Alegre. Brazil’s candidacy scares me. South America is a rookie at age-group meets, and the event will be in January, I’m told — terrible for Northern Hemisphere athletes. (As well, many people recall the mess at the last WAVA world meet held in a developing country — 1997 Durban.) On the bright side is Sacramento’s bid (which you can view here in PDF format). Sacto holds the promise of putting on a professional show. (Sacto also has this “athlete workbook” with more info.)

Under normal circumstances, this decision is a slam dunk. Game over; Sacto wins.
The wrinkle this year is a wild card named Cesare Beccalli, the Italian WMA president who is married to a Brazilian masters official and lives part-time in Brasil. As I mentioned last August, Cesare has a lot invested in his dream of bringing worlds to Brazil.
Even earlier, Cesare basically promised Brazil would host the 2011 meet.
Also, an old report on the WMA site from Cesare says:

As for South America I announced that there were some probabilities that Brasil could bid for WMA 2011 Champs, as a result of a long job of coordination of the local strengths which I conducted during two years. Useless to say how important it could be for the WMA to go for the first time in that Continent and which favourable impact on the entire activity there could have since now the simple fact of having done an official bid’s presentation. Now, the official bid has been presented and will be voted at the next WMA Assembly in Riccione 2007. The Town which could host the Champs is Porto Alegre (Rio Grande do Sul). The fact that I have a secondary residence there will certainly facilitate the evolution of the matter.

Not so fast, CB.
Sacramento’s bid is serious. And it would represent a return of the WMA worlds the USA for the first time since Buffalo hosted the meet in 1995. (I don’t count 2003 Puerto Rico worlds.)
And these folks from California are bringing some big guns — World Masters Athlete of the Year Bill Collins and world masters champion Joy Upshaw-Margerum will be a part of the team representing Sacramento at the General Assembly meeting at the Istituto Scientifico A. Volta in Riccione.
I’m hopeful that Porto Alegre officials send me their bid package for posting on this blog. At the least, it would scotch rumors that it’s a one-man operation (a local travel agent) with little substance.
In any case, the European delegations that sway most WMA decisions should realize that Sacramento’s experience (hosting NCAA championships and two Olympic Trials) and proximity to Golden State tourist attractions trump the notion that WMA “owes” Brazil a world masters meet just because South America hasn’t held one.
Anyway, here’s how John McCasey of the local organizers introduced Sacto’s bid package in an email:

Dear World Masters Athletics delegates, athletes, team managers, and council members:
It is with great pride that I send to you for your review Sacramento, California, U.S.A.’s bid proposal for hosting the 2011 WMA Championships.
This bid has been created by the Sacramento Sports Commission in alliance with the Pacific Association of U.S. Track and Field. The bid will provide you great detail and insight into our alliance, our vast experience, and the quality facilities that are among the best in the U.S. One has served as the venue for three U.S. Outdoor Championships and another as the site for two U.S. Olympic Trials and four U.S. Collegiate Championships.
This bid has been reviewed by many Master’s Athletes and high ranking track officals and has been created with the same theme we have maintained for all these high quality competions – “The Athletes Come First.”
This bid will address athlete-related concerns ranging from weather, housing, transportation, affordability and tourism opportunities.
We hope you find this material helpful and informative. I encourage you to forward it to friends and associates. Please note it is also available on our website, www.sacsports.com or www.sacports.com/WMA2011.htm.
We look forward to meeting you in Riccione. Please visit our Sacramento booth, located in Athlete Village, so that we can meet and discuss your questions in greater detail.
Best Regards,
John M. McCasey
Executive Director
Sacramento 2011 WMA Bid

Your turn, Porto Alegre.