Eugene, Oregon- Historic Hayward Field- USA Track and Field Olympic Trials
We arrived in Eugene to find ourselves in a beautiful camp spot at Richardson County Park. It was late and we were tired and hungry, but far from town. We joked with the camp hosts it would be nice if we could get a pizza delivered. And voila! They handed us a delivery menu. A good omen for the days to come!
So, if you’ve been following my blog since the beginning, you might remember the Archery Trials. No spectators, no hoopla, no Star Spangled Banner. Track and field? A party of ultimate proportions! Booths, beer gardens, Nike store, live music. A celebration of all things Track and Field with 25,000 of our best friends!
Hayward Field on the University of Oregon campus is a renowned venue, up there with Madison Square Garden and Wrigley Field. As a track fan, it’s a goosebumps moment when you walk into the stadium where almost every great track athlete has competed. And of course there’s the ghosts; the legendary Coach Bill Bowerman, inventor of the “waffle” running shoe and founder of Nike. Running phenom and rebel, Steve Prefontaine, who died tragically at the age of 24. And I’m pretty sure I saw the spirit of Florence Griffith-Joyner and her famous fingernails flying across the finish line.
We had rain for the majority of the four days, but were fortunate to have
great seats under the awning. Thanks Bill Aney!! The athletes were not so lucky. Dressed in layers, they were never sure what the conditions might be. The lake in the pole vault pit cancelled the women’s prelims and all were sent to the final. The men’s 10,000 meters was a torrential down pour. Athletes warmed up, were called to the starting blocks only to be called off and sent back inside. Such difficult conditions for athletes trying to make an Olympic team.
But to watch them compete, you’d have thought the weather was perfect. They went about their warm-ups, their pre-race rituals, their jumps, throws and races without so much as a blink. Yes, we should probably expect that of this level of athlete. But we’re talking four years or more of sweat and sacrifice possibly being negated by a momentary slip of a wet foot or hand.
With so many events and competitors, there’s not time or space to share it all. And I don’t know where to start! Probably the biggest story of the first couple days was the decathlon. Watching the decathletes compete in person was about as awe inspiring as it gets. How does a person train to be a pole vaulter and a shot putter when one requires lean and fast and the other demands size and strength? Most T&F athletes compete one or two events. How do you find enough hours in the day to train ten?
Bryan Clay, the defending Olympic gold medalist struggled from the very beginning. After running over a hurdle and failing to finish he was then unable to complete any throws in the discus, eliminating him from contention. However, in honor of the sport and the other competitors, he gamely continued and competed in the final events. He said he didn’t want his children to ever think of him as a quitter. A heartbreaking example of the agony of defeat, but such an inspiring testament to the human spirit.
But the thrill of victory went to local favorite Ashton Eaton. Not only did he overcome the pressure of hometown expectation and the weather, he did it in world record style. Eaton set world records in four individual events and the overall decathlon, qualifying for his first Olympic Games. The depth of the emotion he showed at the finish of the 1500M to claim the gold was indescribable. And yes, it was a goosebumps moment. One old timer track guy I talked with said it was the biggest and most exciting moment he’d ever witnessed. And I’m so honored to have been there to see it in person. WOW!!
More stories to come!
In Celebration of Sport!