But they did take raincheck
By Terry Jones, Edmonton Sun. Wednesday, September 20, 2000
SYDNEY -- Sheila Copps still hasn't had her Cuban lunch.
The fate of Edmonton diver Arturo Miranda, which took a positive turn yesterday with the Canadian minister finally getting the door open and achieving a meeting with Cuban officials, was supposed to progress to a dinner meeting.
The Cubans didn't show up for dinner.
NOT A TURN FOR WORSE
But this doesn't mean the situation has taken a turn for the worse. It just means yet another delay in the sorry soap opera which is keeping the former Cuban diver from competing for Canada.
"This is what happens, I guess,'' said Canadian diving coach Mitch Geller.
"Nobody is jerking anybody around. The minister had an encouraging meeting with the Cuban sports minister yesterday afternoon and it was to progress to a dinner in which we'd hoped Canada and Cuba could get together and achieve a joint solution and statement which would see Arturo back in
the Games.
"The Cuban official had something come up with doping control at baseball and had to cancel the dinner engagement. He phoned the minister and explained the situation. They are still talking in good faith.
"The minister is attempting to get together with the Cubans sometime in the next 24 hours and pick up where they left off. We're letting Copps do her thing.''
The Canadian Olympic Association, meanwhile, is also believed to be preparing for a return to the International Court of Appeals for Sport to possibly follow the lead of the Americans.
Angel Perez, an American kayaker who had gone down the same road and hit the same road-blocks as Miranda, got back into the Olympics.
PRODUCED A LETTER
Perez defected from Cuba. Miranda, who married a Canadian working in Cuba, left legally.
To get Perez back in the Olympics the Americans produced a letter from their government explaining that Perez became an American national the minute he landed on U.S. soil even if he didn't have U.S. citizenship as such for the required three years.
Miranda has only been a Canadian citizen for one year.
In Canada you require three years of landed immigrant status before proceeding toward obtaining citizenship.
While no Canadians will comment on the thought, the Perez decision may have opened the door the Cubans had kept closed until yesterday.
There has been no comment from Copps as to whether a letter from Justice Minister Anne McLellan would be requested.
For the moment Canada looks to be sticking to the idea of coming to an agreement with Cuba without having to go back to the court of sport.
"I'm still as optimistic as I was yesterday despite the delay,'' said Geller.
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