US Olympic track & field Trials... I was there! By Coraline

During ten days, from June 22nd to July 1st 2012, at the Hayward Field in Eugene (Oregon), US athletes gunned for glory and a chance to represent the Nation at the Olympic Games.

The first US Olympic Trials were in 1920; it was only for men. The first women’s Olympic Trials were in 1928. Combined Olympic Trials have existed only since 1976.

Eugene received the US Olympic Trials this year.

Eugene was founded in 1846. There are 155,000 residents according to the United States 2010 Census. Eugene is located at the southern end of the Willamette Valley.

For nearly 40 years, Eugene has been the “track and field capital of the world”. Oregon’s most famous track icon is the late world-class distance runner Steve Prefontaine, who was killed in a car crash in 1975.

The stadium, Hayward Field, hosted the 1972, 1976, 1980, 2008 and 2012 US Olympic track & field Trials.

There are 22 track and field events: 100 meters, 200 meters, 400 meters, 800 meters, 1500 meters, 500 meters, 10,000 meters, steeplechase, 110 hurdles, 100 hurdles, 400 hurdles, high jump, race-walk, pole vault, discuss, javelin, long jump, triple jump, shotput, hammer, decathlon, and heptathlon.

The majority of these activities are combined (i.e. men and women) except the 110 hurdles and the decathlon which are male activities. The 100 hurdles and the heptathlon on the other hand are only for women.

You could follow all of the news on the TV, in the newspapers and on Internet (the official Website is www.tracktown12.gotracktownusa.com, Facebook and Twitter).

The Trials were well organized. There were many services such as free parking, a free shuttle service, and water fountains for the spectators.

After a highly successful showing during the 2008 US Olympic track & field Trials, the fan festival experience surrounding Hayward Field was even bigger this summer. You could see fifteen different bands during this festival.

During the first three days, the weather was very bad because it was raining but for the other days, the sky was fine.

This year, the principal sponsors of the US Olympic track and field Trials were Nike (which was created in Eugene), Eugene city, the State of Oregon, and the USA track & field organization.

This year 320 “hometown heroes” from all the country participated. All participants do their best to win and to become one of the athletes to represent the country.

They were much encouraged by all the spectators from all over the United States of America and, like me, even from other countries.

The US Olympic track & field trials is definitely the most important and famous Olympic Trials in the entire world.

One world record was broken, some American records, and also lots of US Olympic Trials records. Lots of athletes broke their own records.

More than eighty American athletes were selected to represent their country at the Olympic Games this year in London.