The center is financially supported by the International Olympic Committee, which bases funding on the number of athletes it sends here to train. More athletes mean more dollars to cover operating costs. The center is financially supported by the International Olympic Committee, which bases funding on the number of athletes it sends here to train.
More athletes mean more dollars to cover operating costs.
So far, though, the IOC has dropped the baton. As a result, the future of the SITC is in doubt. Almost from the time the training center moved to Savannah from LaGrange in 1997, it has received fewer athletes than it expected and needs to survive. Center officials say a minimum of 25 is needed to cover fixed costs, such as facility maintenance and insurance. Although 26 athletes arrived two years ago, that number quickly dropped.