Track Town, USA

There is a revitalized American track and field mecca. And it’s not in Texas or Philadelphia.

Our hats are off to the Oregon Track Club, the University of Oregon, local and state governments, and the businesses and citizens who are making this track and field dream a reality.

After a 28-year hiatus, the U.S. track and field Olympic Trials will return to Eugene, Oregon. The world will be watching June 27 to July 6 as these important trials determine the Americans who will be our U.S. track and field team at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.

Who says track doesn’t pay? The Trials alone are expected to attract 17,000 people each day while injecting $18 million in direct spending related to the competition in Eugene.

Local business leaders and track enthusiasts have built the nation’s new “track capital.” Nearly $8 million in improvements are underway at Hayward Field, including a new infield, track surface and television-quality scoreboard– ultimately establishing Hayward as a premier international track and field venue.

Not to be outdone by spectacles familiar to fans at Texas or Penn Relays, Eugene will pull out all the stops, including The Eugene ’08 Festival. This will be an event-long exposition and entertainment experience with local food, beer, wine and performers. The festival, which will be free to the public, will also have video boards showing the competition in real time.

Eugene has also been awarded four other elite track meets that will make the city another $22 million in direct spending.

This development is a huge opportunity for track and field. It’s a chance to attract families, engage children and meet the high expectations of the experienced track fan. The world will be watching – but will your neighbors?

Future Track Meets Scheduled for Hayward Field

• 2009 USA Outdoor Championships
• 2010 NCAA Championship
• 2011 USA Outdoor Championships
• 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials

Allyson Felix: The Graduate

Congratulations, Allyson!

Sponsors take note: Allyson Felix is continually proving she is role model material. Even while she was running around the world setting records and winning medals, she kept her nose in the books.

That’s right – one of my favorite Glamour Girls of track and field is getting ready to graduate from the University of Southern California with a degree in Elementary Education.

Adidas is one sponsor who took note early. While many athletes finish paying for their educations by running on the college circuit, Felix cut to the chase. She turned professional out of high school and let Adidas pay for college.

It’s all paying off. In addition to her college degree, Felix just came off the best season of her life. In September, she won three gold medals at the 2007 World Champions in Osaka with victories in 200 meters, 4 x 100 meter relay and 4 x 400 meter relay.

Allyson will accept her degree in May 2008 . . . only a few short months before the world finds out if her good decisions and hard work will pay off in gold at the 2008 Olympic Games.

Jay Hicks

Jeremy Wariner Kicking Off Season In Australia

Jeremy Wariner and his agent, Michael Johnson, recently announced in an IAAF interview, legendary track Coach Clyde Hart – who also guided Michael Johnson – swears this meet does not deviate from Wariner’s training schedule to defend his Olympic title in Beijing next year.

Wariner joins two more prominent runners at the Melbourne meet. Asafa Powell the 100-meter World Record holder announced last week that he will train and compete in the Melbourne meet, as will Darold Williamson, a fellow Baylor alum and member of the 2004 Olympic gold medal 4 x 400 meter relay.

Like other pro track runners the last few years, Wariner has skipped the indoor season entirely. The weather can be hit or miss when he traditionally kicks off his season with low key meets in March.

However, Wariner has shown in the past that he is bold and daring. For example, he has been running the 200-meters in major races to improve his speed to break the world record.

Whether he dips under 45 seconds in Australia’s warm weather will depend on how much training can be done before February.

Running in Melbourne that early in the season will definitely make for a long season but Wariner has already pulled off the nearly undoable triple crown – winning indoor and outdoor NCAA Championships and the Olympic gold medal during his last year at Baylor University.

Wariner plans to put on a show this upcoming season.

Fans will have to wait and see if Jeremy can strike gold again in Beijing and break Michael Johnson’s record of 43.18.

Jay Hicks

Looking to Beijing

There is great anticipation about the 2008 Games – 247 days to the opening games but who’s counting, huh?

Many cannot wait to see the transforming city the media keeps talking about – the once rickety, impoverished city that is now the heart of new China’s booming economy.

Construction is going on around the clock. Signs of economic success are everywhere: a new futuristic business district, new ultra-luxury hotels and a new gigantic airport terminal.

Chinese officials have set ambitious goals for their venues, but those goals are not without obstacles. For instance, smog and haze periodically hover over the city, and fine soil produces dust storms visible for miles.

The world is watching to see if China can shine under the bright light of international attention.

The Chinese want to prove they are a global powerhouse worthy to be considered with the U.S., Europe, and Canada.