Athletes give Eugene’s hospitality a gold medal

For the 10-day span that ended Sunday, the sport of track and field moved through a living museum — freshly refurbished and unveiling exhibits daily.

The U.S. Olympic trials were back in Eugene for the first time in 28 years, and the result was part pilgrimage, part family reunion, part house party. Years of preparation to return the sport to one of its most legendary sites, including 3,000 volunteers and millions of dollars in renovations, seem to have hit their mark.

“Just the hospitality and the people of Eugene, it’s unbelievable,” said Matthew DeBole, a Georgetown University graduate who competed in the 1,500 meters. “Here, you feel like you know everybody, and you’ve never seen them before.”

– Excerpt from The Oregonian, July 8, 2008