by Larry EderThis is a long time coming. I hope in the near future, that the IAAF sees the benefits of hosting a World Outdoor in the U.S. The crowds will be good, the TV will be fantastic, and most of all, new sponsors will see the sport.
US PLANS FOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS, from EME News, tracktownUSA
EUGENE (USA): Time for USA to host the IAAF World Championships. 2019 a possibility. After Eugene is staging World Juniors 2014 and Portland World Indoors 2016. For a variety of reasons, the IAAF World Championships have never been held in the United States, and for those who aspire to push the sport forward in this country, that fact must change. “We all believe that the single most important thing we can do as a sport is to bring the world’s best athletes to our country,” said Vin Lananna, president of TrackTown USA, the local organizing committee for the 2008, ’12 and ’16 U.S. Olympic Trials at Historic Hayward Field on the University of Oregon campus in Eugene. “We already have the world’s No. 1 track and field team, but if we want to inspire a new generation of kids, and increase the popularity of the sport in the U.S., we have to raise awareness for our sport more than every four years at the Olympics,” says Lananna. At present, there is no stadium in this country capable of meeting the IAAF’s minimum requirements to host the event. However, over the past two years, the landscape has begun to tilt in favor of a viable U.S. bid, thanks to the vision of Lananna, and the ongoing support of USA Track & Field, the governing body for the sport in the U.S. In Lananna’s view, the best landing spot for the 2019 IAAF World Championships is Eugene, a community known as TrackTown USA, with its rich tradition and historic support of the sport, and the most passionate fan base in America. He advocates a complete makeover of Hayward Field, one that would transform the venerable stadium into a world-class complex that revolutionizes the presentation of track and field meets. He’s also amenable to reshaping the meet, with certain functions and events held in other places in the state, much like the men’s and women’s hammer throw took center stage before a crowd of 5,000 on the Nike campus in Beaverton at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials. The decision on where the IAAF 2019 World Championships will be held will be made in autumn 2014. Doha, Barcelona are other cities mentioned. With infos from tracktownusa.com.
