There were 7,191 fans yesterday "in the sold-out Oregon Convention Center" for the final day of the IAAF World Indoor Track & Field Championships, according to Ken Goe of the Portland OREGONIAN. Taking victory in the 1,500-meter final yesterday was Matthew Centrowitz -- running "in his home town and in front of people who had cheered for him" since he was at the Univ. of Oregon. It was a "perfect moment for the final day of the first global championships" the IAAF has staged in the U.S. since '87 (OREGONLIVE.com, 3/20). In Portland, Jeff Smith noted the event's "four-day, six-session total for attendance in the temporary 7,000-seat venue was 39,283" (PORTLANDTRIBUNE.com, 3/20). IAAF President Sebastian Coe during Thursday's opening ceremony said, "The U.S. is historically the powerhouse of track and field, yet the perception of our sports is low. But I genuinely believe this will be the reawakening of track and field in this country." The GUARDIAN's Sean Ingle writes the "difficulty is getting audiences to tune in" in the U.S. While "many top names stayed away from Portland, there were welcome signs of a greater willingness to tinker with what has been a fusty format." Before each final, for instance, athletes "ran down a ramp and through dry ice as their names were called out -- an extension of a format tested at the relays in Beijing last year." Some "thought it was gimmicky," and "perhaps it was." But the crowd "seems to enjoy it." Organizers also "made the pole vault a standalone event, which proved to be a surprising success, too -- with nearly 7,000 people turning up." The medal ceremonies also were "held away from the stadium, in downtown Portland." Audiences, "lured by the fine beer and free music, turned up in bigger numbers than expected" (GUARDIAN, 3/21).
CREATING MORE FANS: The AP's Pat Graham notes Coe "wants to take the sport into the 21st century by mixing it up a little bit." That includes making events "quicker paced and more fan friendly." Having the medal ceremonies downtown was "another chance for fans to interact with medal winners." Track & field recently lost a Diamond League stop in N.Y. "when the organizers elected to hold a street race instead." But if that sort of event "sparks interest, Coe is all for it." Coe: "We have to be realistic about this -- a lot of people are not going as a first instinct, to come into our stadiums to watch track and field. If they're introduced to it, in and around shopping malls, in a big population center, if that helps us bring them into the stadium, that has to be a good thing" (AP, 3/21).
