Chattanooga lost its chance to host the Olympic marathon trials in 2024 after officials found a USA Track and Field board member was consulting with the city on its bid, Runner's World reported this month.
The city was one of two finalists being considered for the trials, alongside Orlando, Florida.
In November, officials picked Orlando to host the trials after learning Jim Estes, a member of the USA Track and Field board reviewing potential sites, was a paid consultant on Chattanooga's bid for the event. At the same time, according to Runner's World, officials informed Chattanooga's organizing committee that the city was disqualified based on the conflict of interest.
"In the end, while the circumstances were neither created by USATF nor condoned by USATF, the reputational damage to USATF and ultimately our athletes will be costly if we don't disqualify the CLOC (Chattanooga committee) bid," USA Track and Field CEO Max Siegel wrote in a letter to Chattanooga organizers provided to the Chattanooga Times Free Press by the Olympic committee.
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The USA Track and Field board had recommended Chattanooga as the host in October but does not have the final say.
The decision came months after Estes declared his conflict of interest in the selection process, Runner's World reported. His consulting fee for technical aspects of the bid was less than $8,000, Chattanooga Tourism Co. spokesperson Hannah Hammon said in an email.
"While there is no evidence that either Chattanooga or Mr. Estes intended for this arrangement to confer an unfair advantage, USATF as an organization has the responsibility to manage actual, potential and perceived conflicts of interest to avoid even the appearance of impropriety or unfairness in the competitive bidding process," Kate Hartman, spokeswoman for the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee, said in an email.
Hartman added the conflict hurt Chattanooga's bid and "cast doubt on the fairness of the competitive process."
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According to Runner's World, Estes had informed the board he was working with Chattanooga in May, but officials didn't flag the conflict until he updated his disclosure in July. Estes did not respond to an emailed request for comment.
In October, according to Runner's World, the USA Track and Field board voted to recommend Chattanooga as the trials' host. The decision still needed approval from the organization's national office, where officials later decided to disqualify the city based on Estes' involvement.
"We are disappointed to have lost the 2024 Olympic marathon trials bid. Unfortunately, the reasons behind this decision were beyond our control," Chattanooga Tourism Co. CEO Barry White said in a statement emailed to the Times Free Press on Tuesday.
The tourism agency led the city's bid and held a site visit in September. City officials supported the bid and participated in the visit, spokeswoman Kirsten Yates said in a text Tuesday.
"Chattanooga put forth an awesome bid, and we hope they participate in future opportunities," Hartman, the Olympic committee's spokeswoman, said Tuesday.
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Estes was not interviewed about his conflict, as part of an investigation by the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, until after Orlando had been selected, Runner's World reported. Hartman said the committee opened its investigation after learning Estes was consulting with Chattanooga in October.
Estes, who has worked for USA Track and Field for more than 10 years, addressed the situation on Twitter.
"From here, I'd ask everyone to focus our collective energy on supporting Orlando as they produce a successful Olympic Trials Marathon," Estes wrote. "For now, I plan to continue discussions with my colleagues on the USATF Board regarding this situation and how we can move forward together to engage fans and advance the sport."
The conflict of interest delayed the committee's final decision, Hartman said in an email.
The last three trial hosts were selected 22, 25 and 22 months before the race, running publication Let's Run reported in September. With the trial slated to take place between January and March 2024, this decision comes just 13 to 15 months out.
Around 400 runners compete in the trial marathon, vying for a handful of spots on the U.S. Olympic team.
"We greatly appreciate the efforts of the Chattanooga Track Club and all volunteers who assisted our team throughout the bid process," White said. "Chattanooga is an ideal destination for major sporting events and meetings, and we will continue bringing more great opportunities to our city."
Contact Ellen Gerst at egerst@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6319.