The IAAF on Thursday awarded the '21 World Track & Field Championships to Eugene, Ore., and the city "had no competition" as TrackTown USA organizing committee President Vin Lananna "worked behind the scenes since February to get an early shot" at the event, according to Chris Hansen of the Eugene REGISTER-GUARD. The IAAF Council "voted 23-1 via secret ballot" to award Eugene the '21 meet. It awarded the '07 event to Osaka, Japan, "without open bidding." USA Track & Field President Stephanie Hightower said that Qatar also "was offered a similar opportunity four years ago by the IAAF after it lost out to London" for the '17 world championships. Hansen notes outgoing IAAF President Lamine Diack has "long been vocal about his desire to bring the largest non-Olympic track and field meet in the world" to the U.S. Diack said that ensuring the world championships were finally held in the U.S. was too "hard to pass up." Diack said the IAAF council has "made a clear choice on a strategic decision that enables us to take advantage of a unique opportunity that may never arise again." Hansen notes the Univ. of Oregon's Hayward Field "seats 10,500 but has been able to hold as many 20,000" for the '08 and '12 Olympic Trials with temporary seating. That number "must grow to at least 30,000 for the world championships, and Lananna said it could be as big as 32,000." Lananna: “The expansion of the stadium is part of the legacy of hosting this world championships." He added that his "hope is to begin the renovation after Hayward Field plays host to the Olympic Trials" in '16 (Eugene REGISTER-GUARD, 4/17).
GOING ON A HUNCH: In Chicago, Philip Hersh notes after Eugene's defeat last November, its backers mounted a "behind-the-scenes effort to convince the IAAF the city should be" the '21 host. Lananna said, "I did it completely on a hunch. In talking with various IAAF Council members after the vote (for 2019), I learned that enough were disappointed the vote did not go our way. So I thought, `What the heck,' let's try for this.'" Lananna said Eugene backers decided to keep the attempt quiet to avoid "a false start." He added, "I didn't have the feeling we would get it until three days ago." Hersh notes the operating budget for the meet will be between $60-80M, "excluding infrastructure work that already is underway." Revenues "will include support from local and state government, private donations ... sponsorships and ticket sales" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 4/17).
CAUGHT OFF GUARD: In N.Y., Christopher Clarey notes the decision "caught many in the American track and field community by surprise," including Gold Medal-winning decathlete Ashton Eaton, who was part of Eugene's '19 bid team. He was "unaware of the 2021 possibility." Eaton: "I woke up this morning and saw tweets, and I was like: 'Huh? Cool!' I basically think the benefit of this we will see maybe 10 or 15 years after the event in that a lot of young people will be exposed to track and field in the United States, kind of like how, back in the day, Carl Lewis and Michael Johnson made that impact. ... When the Olympics were in Atlanta I was watching on TV and it was awesome. It's kind of the same deal for the world championships. There's just really good potential for growth" (N.Y. TIMES, 4/17).
