"I never hid the fact that the Pan Ams were not a priority for me this year," Surin, who successfully defended his national 100-metre sprint title during the weekend in Winnipeg, said Monday in a news release from Rosemere, Que.
"My priority in 1999 are the world championships, which will be held at the end of August in Spain. That is still my goal.
"For me, the best way to prepare for that meet is a combination of rest and high-calibre competitions against the best sprinters in the world. Since the Pan Ams won't include sprinters such as Maurice Greene and Ato Boldon, and at the same time I'm
receiving
invitations from organizers in Europe to compete against sprinters of that calibre, it is obvious that for me the
Pan Am Games lose value." Even the marquee name among Canadian sprinters, Donovan Bailey of Oakville, Ont., may not make it to the starting blocks for the 100 metres at the Games.
"I don't know at this stage," Athletics Canada president John Thresher said in Winnipeg when asked Monday if Bailey would run the 100. "He's not been named to the 100. He's been named to the relay.
"Donovan is coming back from a career-threatening injury. One physician in Toronto said he would never run again. And at this moment, Donovan's name is not down for the 100. That doesn't mean to say that he won't be running the 100.
"Subject to injury you will see him there (at the Games)."
Surin and Brad McCuaig of Calgary were to be the 100-metre runners for Canada at the Pan Ams. Surin won the 100 at the nationals on Saturday in 9.88 seconds, ahead of McCuaig's 10.18 and Bailey's 10.19.
Surin said he has no objection to any financial agreement Bailey signed with the Pan Am Games organizing committee.
"If they paid Donovan to promote the Games that's great for him," Surin said. "People have to understand that I am an independent professional athlete.
"Yes, I receive money from competitions and sponsors but I must also pay for my training and health treatments.
"I invested a lot of time and money this winter to go and train in Texas where I also benefited from high quality physiotherapy treatments. I made that investment with the world championships in mind, not the Pan Am Games."
Surin plans to compete July 5 in the 200 metres at a meet in Zagreb, Croatia, then two days later race in the 100 metres at the Golden Gala in Rome.