Montreal no longer host of Gay Games 2006

Montreal has lost the right to host the internationally sanctioned Gay Games in 2006 over a dispute about financing and the number of participating athletes. The Federation of Gay Games rejected Montreal's proposal in Chicago on Monday following two years of discussions. Montreal organizing committee officials said Tuesday, however, that the city will hold a similar event under another name. Former Olympic swimming champion Mark Tewksbury, co-president of the Montreal event, said not being able to use the official logo won't be a detriment. The federation wanted to limit participation to 12,000 athletes, while Montreal organizers wanted 16,000 to take part to ensure that the games made it into the black. "The conditions being imposed on us by the Games organization are unacceptable because they do not allow for a financial success and success in terms of participation," committee president Louise Roy told reporters. It was not immediately clear what city would be chosen in place of Montreal, although some have rumored that the event could be staged in Atlanta. The Gay Games, the brainchild of former Olympic decathlete Tom Waddell, have been held in San Francisco (1982, 1986), Vancouver (1990), New York (1994), Amsterdam (1998), and Sydney (2002).