IAAF visits Oregon in advance of 2021 World Championships

Published Jan. 17, 2018 5:22 p.m. ET

A delegation from the international governing body for track and field has been visiting Oregon to review preparations for the 2021 World Championships.

About 12 representatives from the IAAF and its partners arrived in Eugene, Oregon, on Monday. Branded Oregon21, the international event will be held at the University of Oregon's historic Hayward Field. It will be the first time track and field's premier biennial competition will be held in the United States.

IAAF CEO Olivier Gers said Wednesday that in addition to assessing the preparations, the delegation is exploring ways to engage the rest of the state and the region in the event.

''It's critical that we build bridges and we build human connections between the IAAF and the teams locally that will be organizing the event,'' Gers said.

Hayward Field has hosted seven U.S. Track and Field championships and six Olympic Trials, as well as the annual Prefontaine Classic on the Diamond League schedule. The 2014 World Junior Championships were also held at the track, one of the most well-known in the sport.

Renovations to accommodate 32,000 spectators for the World Championships were expected to start following the NCAA championships in June.

It is expected that more than 2,000 athletes from 214 countries will take part in the meet, which was awarded to Eugene in 2015. The event is scheduled for Aug. 6-15, 2021.

''It's a different scale than any other event,'' Gers said. ''It will be in 2021 the largest sporting event of the year around the world.''

This week's visit was the first of many for the IAAF, he said.

Doha is hosting the World Championships in 2019.