If a tree falls in Track Town USA and nobody hears it, does it make a sound?
The 2023 USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships was full of explosive running, jumping, and throwing action from July 6-9 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, but it might go down as one of the biggest—and best—American track meets that few people actually watched.
In what was a qualifying meet for the August 19-27 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, America’s best track and field athletes put on an amazing show that went largely unseen compared to previous national championships. Overall attendance at Hayward Field was sparse at best, while the live TV broadcast was pushed to afterthought cable channel CNBC instead of the usual live two-hour shows on NBC.
It might have been the unconventional timing of the meet (which is usually in late June) or the late-night scheduling, but what’s most relevant are the many stunning performances, and that Team USA will have a talented squad competing in every event in Budapest.
Here are the ten most remarkable results from last weekend’s U.S. championships.
