Political Quotes

“Mr. President, this is an exciting time for my home State of Oregon. The eyes of the sports world are turning to the city of Eugene, where thousands of elite athletes have arrived for the World Athletics Championships that start Friday. For those who may not have been paying attention, Eugene, OR, is known in track-and-field circles as TrackTown USA. Eugene has fewer than 200,000 residents, but it punches far above its weight as one of the athletic capitals of the world, particularly the newly rebuilt Hayward Field on campus at the University of Oregon. My view is, you are not going to find a better track-and-field venue anywhere else. And that is not only because it is where the Oregon Ducks routinely fly past the competition; it is the home of track and field in the United States dating back decades to when Bill Hayward first had his vision for the sports in Eugene. It is a vision that picked up speed when Oregon's own Steve Prefontaine provided drills for me when I was a law school student at the University of Oregon, as well as millions of running fans the world over. And, of course, Hayward Field has been home for Olympics trials in greatness, as well as dominance by my fellow Ducks in college meets. The legacy of athletics in Eugene is a big reason why it is the first ever American city to host the World Athletics Championships. This year, the games are known as Oregon22. Two thousand top Olympic-level athletes are going to compete. They come from nearly 200 countries.…”