HERE’S THIS MONTH’S collection of short takes on generally off-track activities that have gone/will go a long way towards shaping the way the sport is headed.
Next Year’s OT Back To Eugene
In a late — but certainly not shocking — move, USATF and the USOPC have awarded the ’24 Olympic Trials to Eugene, which will make the Oregon city host for the eighth time, and fifth in a row.
The September 21 announcement also clarified the dates as June 21–30, leaving one weekend off after the NCAA, which will also be hosted by Oregon.
“We’re delighted to return to Eugene,” said USATF CEO Max Siegel. “Having hosted [the ’21 Trials] successfully under difficult circumstances, we are pleased to give the city of Eugene and Hayward Field the opportunity to host an event at full capacity to showcase this world-class facility.”
With Olympic track events in Paris beginning on August 01, that will give Team USA 4–5 weeks, give or take, to prepare for the Games.
A number of athletes have complained about the high personal cost of competing in Eugene. Will Leer, chair of the Athletes Advisory Committee, told LetsRun, “Small airport, it’s expensive, hotels are minimal. But… time and time again, TrackTown comes to the table with the best bid.”
USTFCCCA 2023 Hall Of Fame Class Inducted
The latest inductees to the USTFCCCA Hall of Fame were celebrated in a public ceremony at Oregon two days before the DL Final. The athletes in the class of ’23 won a total of 70 collegiate titles, broke 39 World Records and won 8 Olympic medals — all while in college.
“Their accomplishments have inspired countless athletes and fans,” said Sam Seemes, CEO of the coaches organization.
We would note that the list is historically flawed, failing to include anyone before ’59, even though NCAA track began in 1921.
The 14 honorees, in alphabetical order (the Hall’s inaugural class, in ’22, had 30 members):
Men
Dyrol Burleson (Oregon 1959–62, middle distance)
Michael Carter (SMU 1980–84, throws)
Mike Conley (Arkansas 1982–85, jumps)
Edwin Moses (Morehouse 1974–77, hurdles)
Renaldo Nehemiah (Maryland 1978–79, hurdles)
John Thomas (Boston U 1959–62, jumps)
Dave Wottle (Bowling Green 1969–73, middle distance)
Women
Joetta Clark (Tennessee 1981–84, middle distance)
Sheila Hudson (Cal 1986–90, jumps)
Holli Hyche (Indiana State 1991–94, sprints)
Sonia O’Sullivan (Villanova 1988–91, distance)
Julie Shea (NC State 1978–81, distance)
Seilala Sua (UCLA 1997–2000, throws)
Wyomia Tyus (Tennessee State 1964–67, sprints)
Lyles Calls For Better Promotion
Track & field in the United States faces serious marketing issues, Noah Lyles said in a September interview with former NFL player Brandon Marshall on the YouTube show I Am Athlete. “We all want change, but we all struggle to find how we should change,” said the world’s top sprinter.
When asked about major meets being in Eugene, Lyles said, “We’re running in these random places… everybody and their mama has run track & field at one point, so they’re excited, and, yeah, they just saw a meet, or Sha’Carri [Richardson] or Christian Coleman, who else won World Championships, and like, ‘I want to go see them now.’
“Well, OK, we’re going to be in the U.S., but how would they know that? How would they know, if we’re not marketing or targeting the right demographics, which we really struggle with in our sport.”
Another problem, he noted, is that fans rarely see the big stars during the regular domestic season: “Everybody only gets paid for the big moments.
“A lot of athletes forego the normal part of the season to make sure they’re going to be ready, and when I say a lot of athletes, I mean the Sydney McLaughlins, the Athing Mus, the [Noah Lyleses] the Fred Kerleys — the athletes that everyone wants to see on TV will forego to make sure they are healthy enough so that they can perform on the big stage so that they can stay and have their paycheck so they can survive.”
New Site For ’24 World XC Champs
Next year’s World XC has been withdrawn from Croatia and handed to neighboring Serbia. The meet, set for February 10–11, was supposed to have taken place in Medulin and Pula on the Adriatic Sea.
However, in the September 15 statement announcing the news, WA wrote, “World Athletics believes that preparations have not advanced sufficiently.”
Twelve days later came the announcement that the meet would be held in Belgrade, which successfully hosted the World Indoor last year and the European XC in ’13. The event will be held in the center of the Serbian capital, in the Park of Friendship.
It’s Back To Court For Amusan
Looks like Tobi Amusan may be back on the hook. Reports prior to the DL Final asserted that the AIU missed the deadline to appeal to CAS after a disciplinary tribunal overturned (“by majority decision”) the Nigerian hurdler’s provisional ban for whereabouts violations (“Last Lap” September). However, the AIU says it did file an appeal on September 15, two days before Amusan won in Eugene.
The details of the tribunal’s decision were not published as they usually are, because Amusan did not consent. However, AIU head Brett Clothier had said the organization was “disappointed” in the decision.
Now the appeal goes behind closed doors, with the AIU saying it will “make no further comment on the matter until the conclusion of the appeal.” In the event the ruling goes against Amusan, she will likely lose the DL Trophy and prize money, with runner-up Jasmine Camacho-Quinn being named the winner.
NCAA To Pull Cannabis Off Banned List
In a move that may be welcomed by many — but cause headaches for others — the NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports recommended in September that all three divisions adopt legislation that would remove cannabinoids from the NCAA’s banned list.
The rationale mostly came out of last year’s “Summit on Cannabinoids” and the resulting consensus that marijuana is not performance-enhancing and a harm-reduction approach is best managed at the school level.
The committee also recommended “a robust educational strategy” accompany the move. The NCAA intends to gather feedback from members next summer and see final action on legislation in the fall of ’24.
The headaches may well result from the fact that WADA still has cannabinoids on the prohibited list (a stance it most recently reiterated in the fall of ’22) and has in the past indicated that won’t likely change, with some of its member nations still taking a very hard line on the drug. Remembering that will be important for any collegians who may also be tested by USADA, WADA or the AIU. ◻︎