Portland prepared to make a bid for 2016 Indoor World Championships
Portland prepared to make a bid for 2016 Indoor World Championships
Portland is reportedly preparing a bid for the 2016 World Indoor Track and Field Championships, according to the United Kingdom’s Daily Telegraph. The bid is backed by a Nike group and headed by former Oregon track and field coach Vin Lananna.
The championships would be held at the Moda Center, formerly known as the Rose Garden. The arena has hosted all sorts of public events ranging from live concerts to countless Portland Trail Blazers’ home games and even rodeos. The stadium has a capacity for basketball games of 20,636. When set up for hockey and lacrosse games, the capacity is capped at 17,544 people.
A formal presentation before the IAAF ruling council would be scheduled for November 15 in Monaco. The Telegraph reported on the Portland bid with the headline calling The City of Roses “a threat” to Birmingham’s bid to host the World Championships. Birmingham reportedly has £2.5 million, which exchanges to roughly $4 million, prepared for their bid.
Birmingham last hosted the indoor World Championships in 2003. The United States has not hosted them since Indianapolis in 1987, their lone championship. (Fun Fact: In Indianapolis, the Soviet Union racked up the most medals with six gold, five silver and four bronze. The U.S. women only had one medalist on the women’s side - Lillie Leatherwood in the 400-meter dash.10 medals, six gold, for the men.)
Lananna has been able to put on a show in Eugene with the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Trials, which will also return to Oregon in 2016. With the help of Phil Knight and Nike, the IAAF may be open to trying something new and experimenting with a championship on the West Coast.