Eugene hosts the World Athletics U20 Championships next week. It’s this year’s final high-profile event at Hayward Field.
The five-day meet will crown the best junior athletes, ages 16 to 19, in 46 track and field events, including a mixed 4x100 meter relay, which is new this year.
The international competition is expected to draw 2,000 athletes, coaches and staff from about 170 countries. That’s according to J.B. Carney, vice president of destinations sales and services with Travel Lane County.
“This is really the premier, the cream of the crop,” Carney said. “Some are saying that this is a preview of who we'll see in a few short years in LA at the Olympics, vying for a podium spot.”
Carney said although the anticipation has been more muted than when Eugene hosted the same meet in 2014, a lot of work has been going on behind the scenes.
He said some international delegations are already in the area, in order to acclimate before the competition, and that hotels and other partners are prepared to work with teams coming from all over the world.
The meet begins Aug. 5 and runs through Aug. 9.
