They refer to it as TrackTown USA, a magical oasis where track and field receive nearly equal billing to the major sports. And for the next ten days, Eugene, Oregon will attempt an even greater feat: convincing the rest of the United States to follow suit.
Eugene seems an odd choice to host America’s first world athletics championships to an outsider. Especially when there are only 170,000 inhabitants.
After a trip to New Zealand in the 1960s, Oregon coach Bill Bowerman introduced jogging to the masses in the United States, thereby igniting the jogging craze. Bowerman then founded Nike, whose owner, Phil Knight, has substantially funded the construction of the gleaming new Hayward Field stadium.
If you build it, they will come, proclaims a line from the film Field of Dreams. This will be put to the test shortly. The good news for event organizers is that the event should begin with a bang, as one of the few well-known American athletes, the 36-year-old Allyson Felix is expected to win the final medal of her illustrious career in the mixed 4x400m relay on day one.
The baton will then be passed to others, such as the 22-year-old Sydney McLaughlin, who last month broke her world record in the 400-meter hurdles in an astounding 51.41 seconds, and the 18-year-old Erriyon Knighton, who has run the 200-meter race faster than Usain Bolt did at the same age.
Sebastian Coe, president of World Athletics, states that the mission is crystal clear: to win new hearts and minds. This is a very important market for us, as it is the largest sports market in the world, and we must have a greater presence there,” he explains. “We don’t want to leave the world championships in Oregon without leaving a clear imprint for our sport in that nation.”
With a lightning-fast track surface, perfect weather, and super spikes, all conditions are favorable for a deluge of track records. Jon Ridgeon, the CEO of World Athletics, believes the same to be true off the field. “We have great live television slots every night on NBC, and the U.S. team should perform magnificently,” he says. “And I believe that alone will aid in expanding our audience and fan base in America.”
Sha’Carri Richardson, a true breakthrough star who was banned from last year’s Olympics after testing positive for marijuana, failed to qualify for the women’s 100-meter dash or 200-meter dash. There are also concerns that thousands of tickets remain unsold for the 12,650-person capacity venue, with many fans deterred by the exorbitant hotel rates in Eugene.
In terms of British probabilities, there are numerous possibilities but few absolute certainties. Keely Hodgkinson, age 20, appears to have the best chance of winning a medal, although it will be difficult for her to win 800m gold against the home favorite Athing Mu. Laura Muir also appears to be in the form to defend her Olympic 1500-meter silver medal, while the men’s and women’s 4×100-meter relays are usually metal locks.
Josh Kerr, the bronze medalist in the men’s 1500m at Tokyo, is said to be flying in training alongside Jake Wightman. However, the most intriguing athlete on the British team is by far the brilliant 20-year-old Max Burgin, whose front-running style has generated numerous headlines.
He has yet to compete in a major championship, but his time of 1:43:52 is the fastest in the world this year. If he can complete three races in four days, he may be Great Britain’s best chance at a gold medal.
Dina Asher-Smith is a champion performer, so only a fool would write her off in the 100m and 200m. Holly Bradshaw, Lorraine Ugen, and Eilish McColgan could still win a medal if the cards fall their way in the pole vault, long jump, and 10,000m, respectively.
Meanwhile, Katarina Johnson-Thompson, the reigning world champion in the heptathlon, and Jemma Reekie, a star in the 800 meters, continue to be plagued by injury and glandular fever, respectively.
Muir is optimistic that the British team could still spring a few surprises. She added, “I believe it will be a very exciting championship.” And it’s an incredible opportunity for athletics to shine.
