No contest, it’s Eugene

Published: December 14, 2007 05:01AM

Two years ago, what looked like a coup in Eugene looked like a fluke in other places. The decision to hold the 2008 Olympic Track & Field Trials in Eugene would bring the event to a relatively small city, some said, one where its days as the cradle of the sport were fading to sepia. Track and field, after all, are all grown up now, and the trials would soon return to bigger cities with airports, hotels and media markets to match.

It was no fluke. Two big scores in a row begin to form a pattern, especially when they’re connected by several other important data points. On Wednesday, USA Track & Field announced that the 2012 Olympic Trials will be held in Eugene. Eugene also will host the USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in 2009 and 2011, and the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in 2010.