Eugene loses bid to Los Angeles for 2020 U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials

The biggest track meet of the year in 2020 will be on the West Coast, but it won't be in Tracktown USA.

On Wednesday, USA Track & Field announced that Mt. San Antonio College, or more commonly known as Mt. SAC, will host the 2020 U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials. According to the release, USATF’s board of directors awarded the meet to Mt. SAC and the Los Angeles area based on the market size and the fact that Hilmer Lodge Stadium will get a $62 million facelift to expand capacity to 21,000.

Mt. SAC received 11 out of the 13 votes in a landslide decision.

Of course, this decision is likely because Los Angeles is a finalist for the 2024 Olympics along with Paris. With USATF awarding the meet to Los Angeles, that could strengthen the city’s chances to host the Olympics four years later.

Sacramento was also a finalist for the meet, but “favorable weather” was another factor. The meet will be held June 19-28, 2020. This time of year, Sacramento is usually hotter than what would be considered “favorable.”

I attended the USATF Championships in Sacramento last weekend, and I spent two days sitting on metal bleachers in 95+ degree heat. I can confirm it was miserable. Even for the finals on Saturday and Sunday, the stadium was barely half full.

And when it comes to weather, Eugene is usually nice in June, but during the 2012 trials, it rained for every single day of the competition.

What are your thoughts on this decision? Should Hayward Field have gotten the meet, or did USATF do the right thing giving it to Mt. SAC?