TrackTown, USA: A fabulous night at the track tonight. We showed-up 15 minutes before the races, and left immediately after. Wore masks the entire time. Again, basically the only people in the stadium wearing masks. The meet started with a world record in the first event: the women's 100m hurdles, first heat, of the tremi-final. (Not a typo, three heats.) Simply electric that Nigerian Tobi Amusan ran 12.12 seconds. The crowd went crazy! She surpassed this time in the final, but it was determined to be "wind-aided" so did not count. Still!
Our seats were in the 2nd row again tonight, but mercifully in the middle of the section and not near the aisle, so we did not have to deal with the women's long jump coaches running up and down the aisle to speak with their jumpers AFTER EVERY JUMP.
My Driver was most excited for the men's 5000m final (the event he most raced in college). For those not schooled in the distance - it's a 3.1 mile race. Such a totally loaded field.
No one was surprised when Jacob Ingebrigtsen of Norway won the 5000m. He fought-off all challengers in the last 1/4 mile and the stadium erupted for his victory. American teen phenom, Athing Mu (A-thing Moh) of New Jersey won the women's 800m final. The men's decathlon concluded with a powerful 1500m. My boyfriend, France's Kevin Mayer, finally won the gold. More excitement as the American men won the 4x400 meter relay, and then the USA coaches put 400m hurdle world record holder, Sydney McLaughlin, in as the 4th leg in the women's 4x400m relay. Winner! Winner! Winner!
One would think this would be just as much as an athletics fan could handle in a 3 hours span... but, oh no. How about the Swedish (via Louisiana) pole vaulter, Armand "Mondo" Duplantis, breaking his own world record in his final attempt to give everyone in Historic Hayward Field goose pimples for weeks. With Sydney McLaughlin's 400m hurdle world record - that makes THREE world records for this meet! Amazing.
Read a press release with stats from the World Championships
I've been to a lot of track meets and many World championships, but this was a very special evening and we were so happy the event was so well received in Oregon. There was also a team title, with America easily capturing that gold medal. We are exhausted, but so very happy. Will we be in Budapest for the 2023 Championships?
Until my next update, I remain, your gold medal correspondent.
RV Park: Premier RV Resort - I-5, exit 199, just north of Eugene. We have stayed here countless times. 15 minutes to University of Oregon campus. Full-service paved pull-through and front-in sites. Bathhouses, laundry, pool in season, dog parks, dog wash, self-service car wash area, new (really nice) pavilion with kitchen facilities. There are a lot of live-ins. Store with a few food items and ice. Many weekend activities. We are paying about $49 per night on a weekly rate.