TrackTown USA defended the integrity and actions that were made during the Eugene proposal to host the 2021 World Championships, according to a press release sent out Wednesday afternoon.
The group claims that the second proposal was identical to the first, following all ethical and legal standards for organizing, presenting and advocating the city as a host. The decision to go with Eugene was made by the IAAF Council in a 23-1 vote.
TrackTown USA turned to hosting the 2021 Championships after losing the 2019 bid to Doha. Much of the controversy surrounding the bid stems from the fact that there was no formal process, and the European Athletics Federation was caught unaware and thus unable to formulate its own proposals.
The bid going to Eugene marks the first time the United States will play host to the World Championships, and the benefit of bringing the event to the world’s biggest sports market was one of the keys to the proposal.
The statement concludes by reaffirming the commitment to work with the IAAF in preparing the city and venue for the Championships. Hayward is scheduled to undergo renovations this summer to boost the seating capacity for the required amount.
Follow Christopher Keizur on Twitter @chriskeizur