The U.S. Olympic Track and Field trials are returning to Eugene, Oregon in 2016 to decide who will represent the country in the Rio.
“We believe bringing the trials back to Track Town will prepare the team for an equally impressive performance in Rio,” USA Track & Field CEO Max Siegel said at a news conference. “In 2012, the trials were nothing short of spectacular.”
They were, mostly due to Ashton Eaton’s incredible and emotional decathlon world record, for Galen Rupp breaking the legendary Steve Prefontaine’s 40-year-old meet record in the 5000m, and for the bizarre 100m runoff between Allyson Felix and Jeneba Tarhmoh that, unfortunately, never actually happened.
Eugene, which hosted the trials in 1972, 1976, 1980, 2008, and 2012, is the famous home of both the University of Oregon and of Nike, due to the fact that former Oregon track coach Bill Bowerman innovated the history athletic footwear with just some hot rubber and his wife’s waffle iron. Memories...