USA Swimming has started looking at possible sites for the 2016 Olympic trials and hopes to pick the winning city next spring.
Executive director Chuck Wielgus said Sunday that while the organization is extremely pleased with the job Omaha has done hosting the event in both 2008 and again this year, there's a feeling among athletes and coaches that it should move around the country.
USA Swimming has already met with officials from 16 cities, including Jacksonville, Fla.; Greensboro, N.C.; and Louisville, Ky. They were encouraged to attend this year's meet, which begins Monday, to get an idea of the expectations for a host city.
''We've become a multimillion-dollar event,'' Wielgus said. ''We want to go into the marketplace. We think that's right for the sport.''
Formal bids will be taken in the fall, and Wielgus encouraged Omaha to make another bid. The winning city is expected to be announced next May.
After the success of the 2008 trials, which attracted sellout crowds to the 13,200-seat CenturyLink Center Omaha and were roundly praised for their organization, USA Swimming decided to return in 2012 without even going through a bidding process. But any city with a large arena can host the meet using a temporary pool, which allow for the same level of competition as a permanent natatorium.
''We've left an incredible legacy here,'' Wielgus said. ''There's a fire for the sport in Omaha that maybe wasn't there seven or eight years ago. If we have the opportunity to do that in another city, that's something that would be very exciting to us.''
---
Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963
