Daily Breeze

Tuesday, February 11, 2003

Site gets ringing endorsement

CARSON: Olympic Committee OKs the use of famous symbol above The Home Depot Center, where potential Olympians will train in certain events.

By Nick Green
DAILY BREEZE

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The world-renowned symbol of the Olympic movement — the five interlocking rings — will soon rise over The Home Depot Center in Carson on the campus of California State University, Dominguez Hills.

The U.S. Olympic Committee’s executive committee Saturday approved using the state-of-the-art soccer, cycling, tennis and track and field complex that’s under construction as its first multisport training site for potential Olympians in those events.

In addition, the sports complex will host USOC events and Olympic trials, said Jim Scherr, chief of sport performance with the committee.

“We want to use this as a model for multisport training sites,” he said. “They’re planning a robust program there. In all the sports you’ll have year-round training by the various programs. We’ll have significant training and they’ll have significant events happening on an ongoing basis.”

The USOC already has three official training centers and four sport-specific training sites.

The 88-acre complex includes a 23,000-seat soccer stadium, 8,000-seat tennis stadium, 2,000-seat track and field venue and indoor cycling track. There will be 18 tennis courts and five soccer training fields.

The USOC commitment brings another prestigious organization to the complex, built by the Anschutz Entertainment Group at a cost approaching $200 million. But the announcement over the weekend even caught AEG officials off guard.

“We always envisioned The Home Depot Center as a multisport facility that would lend itself to the training of athletes on a variety of levels,” AEG spokesman Michael Roth said. “We were very pleased that the USOC shares our vision. I think when the next Olympics come around we will be very proud that The Home Depot Center will have had an impact on more members of the U.S. Olympic team than any other facility.”

The Home Depot Center is already home to Major League Soccer’s Los Angeles Galaxy, the U.S. Soccer Federation’s dozen or so national teams, the Pete Sampras Tennis Academy and will be the training camp site of the National Football League’s San Diego Chargers. “The announcement of The Home Depot Center . . . as an official training site will only further our goals as an outstanding urban university committed to our students and the community at large,” said university President James E. Lyons Sr. “Having such a prominent and internationally recognized venue on our campus will provide countless opportunities in a variety of fields for students as well as job opportunities for members of the South Bay community.”

Mayor Daryl Sweeney said he expects the designation will give Carson another economic boost that will bring more restaurants, stores and other retailers to a community that is remaking itself.

“It’s obviously great news for the city of Carson to have those distinguished circles placed on a facility in our great city,” he said. “We’re elated.”

Initially, though, the USOC will have just one employee — a training and event coordinator — based in Carson, Scherr said.

That’s expected to grow as the complex and activities evolve.

“(The USOC is) getting world-class facilities with no cost to the governing bodies or the athletes,” said Tim Leiweke, AEG president. “We have an opportunity to drive a legacy and Mr. Anschutz in particular is very driven by giving kids a place to come and get turned on to these sports.”

The Associated Press contributed to this article.