EUGENE, OREGON, July 06-09 — For the sixth time in the last three seasons major championships track & field sprang to life at Hayward Field.
On ground that is rich with championships history in the storied stadium’s quaint yet ever magical former shape and form, these majors have ushered forth thrills in Hayward’s still new second life: the NCAA Champs and Olympic Trials of ’21, the trifecta of the NCAA, World Champs Trials and historic first U.S.-soil Worlds last summer — and now this blast-off to what looks to be shaping up as a World Championships summer to remember.
The scheduling for ’23 versus ’22 — early July versus late June last year — and the interval before the big dance, this time in Budapest — 6 weeks versus just under 2 — were different, and, as results in late August may yet tell, probably more optimal for the athletes.
The show was first-rate. While “just” one meet record fell, to hurdler supreme Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone exploring the flat 400 (and gliding close to the American Record), the competitions sizzled.
Twelve ’23 titlists repeated as champions: on the men’s side, Bryce Hoppel (800), Daniel Roberts (110H), Rai Benjamin (400H), Nick Christie (20W), Chris Nilsen (PV), Donald Scott (TJ) and the monarch of 75-foot shot putting, Ryan Crouser.
Women who retained their crowns: Elise Cranny (5000 and taking the 10K too this time), Vashti Cunningham (sixth straight HJ win), Valarie Allman (DT), Brooke Anderson (HT) and fast-rising heptathlon heroine Anna Hall.
As is usual, ’22 world champions and Diamond League winners using their Wild Cards for the Worlds affected results. Also, though, winners one might not have expected, especially when considered from the angle of a year ago, rose to the occasion: Bryce Deadmon (400), Kenneth Rooks (steeple), Abdihamid Nur (5000) & Harrison Williams (decathlon).
Sha’Carri Richardson’s women’s 100 victory was no shocker. Still, the 23-year-old Texan’s return to form (with a world-leading PR, 10.71, along the way in her heat) made headlines. Ditto for Tokyo medalist Gabby Thomas’s 200 win – also with a world-leading PR, 21.60.
Women whose title conquests might be termed surprises or breakthroughs included Nia Akins (800), Nikki Hiltz (1500 sprinting past elite 1500 neophyte Athing Mu), Krissy Gear (steeple) and Nebraska collegian Maddie Harris (javelin).
It can’t be said that triple jump winner Tori Franklin leaped to her crown from out of the blue, yet the 30-year-old’s first Outdoor victory snapped a lengthy skein of oh-so-close efforts in past years.
Under skies that were mostly sunny and with warm conditions that avoided the oppressive “heat dome” reality of the ’21 Trials, the Nationals atmosphere this year in a fan sense buzzed with more electricity than ’22’s had for an elemental reason: attendance.
The tickets-sold figure of 27,462 (distributed as 5311/ 5782/8965/7404 over the 4 days) made all the difference compared to ’22’s dispiriting numbers: 13,306 (2751/3314/3664/3577).
As a number of athletes understandably lamented the meet’s invisibility to viewers of the main NBC network, broadcast/streaming numbers predictably paled next to ’22’s when the major network aired live shows: Friday 176,000 vs 214,000; Saturday 207,000 vs 1.05 million; Sunday 288,000 vs. 1.052 million.
The insult heaped upon injury for the meet-climax Sunday evening time slot was the revelation that NBC chose instead to show “America’s Got Talent”… reruns!
How’s that for harsh market conditions at work? Having touted Oregon22 last summer as a launch toward a track & field rise in the national consciousness ahead of the ’28 LA Olympics, one hopes the suits in USATF’s Indianapolis HQ are hard at work to bend the sport’s profile upward.
Exorbitant travel and lodging costs for a nationals in Eugene also came under fire from athletes and others. Sure looks like local hoteliers know a captive audience when they see one. Might a partial future fix be to require guarantees of reasonable room rates in the site bidding process?
Following are our by-event stories for each of the Eugene events, written in real time. You will also find an as-best-we-could determine run-down of who made Team USA.
