A busy season's wrapping up at Hayward Field Thursday through Sunday in Eugene. The USA Track and Field Championships will decide the team for the World Championships in Beijing. The USA Junior Championships determine the athletes under 20 for the Pan Am Games in Toronto. The dual events are poised to provide drama.
Temperatures are forecast in the high 90's for the weekend, unusual for Hayward Field. As Track Town USA's Vin Lananna says, in 10 years in Eugene he has yet to apologize for the weather:
Lananna: "Track athletes do generally like good warm weather so they can run fast jump high and throw far, but we'll obviously have to be very careful with regard to hydration and being sure that precautions are taken."
Lananna says there will be extra fluids, ice and cold towels for athletes after the events.
Regarding the recent doping allegations against Nike Oregon Project coach Alberto Salazar, Lananna says:
Lananna: "I don’t know that I can predict what is going to happen in terms of what people focus on."
He would like to keep the attention on the talented junior and professional athletes competing to represent the United States.
On Wednesday, Alberto Salazar released an open letter rebutting the allegations.