The road to worlds runs through Hayward Field, 2022 USATF Championships kick off Thursday
Allyson Felix at the 2022 Toyota USATF Outdoor Championships press conference. Photo by Logan Hannigan-Downs
By Cassie Cole and Joe Zochert
The best American track and field athletes have arrived in Eugene, Oregon, and they’re ready to make history. The Toyota USATF Outdoor Championships start on Thursday and several competing athletes spoke with the media at a press conference on Wednesday afternoon.
Felix’s Finale
One of the storylines of the 2022 track and field season is five-time Olympian Allyson Felix retiring from the sport following the season. She is competing in the 400-meter dash this weekend with the hopes of joining Team USA at the World Athletics Championships next month.
Felix has been a professional athlete for nearly 20 years, earning seven Olympic gold medals and 12 World Championship gold medals. For Felix, her legacy has changed over her illustrious career as she found new ways to challenge herself.
This year, Felix wants to create a larger social impact in the track and field community. As a mother and a runner, it’s fitting that she is making an impact in the way of childcare. A recent partnership between Felix and Athleta ensures that 20% of every shoe sale through Felix’s company, Saysh, will be used to provide athletes and coaches at the USATF Championships with free childcare.
“Being able to have childcare here is really the reason that I came back,” said Felix. “I'm so excited to have that in my partnership as a mother and being able to offer that to that group, so I hope all of that is a part of my legacy.”
This opportunity to help provide childcare at this event was one of the main motivators for Felix as she determined whether to return this season.
“I still felt like there was a few things that I could push for,” said Felix. “And that was kind of the final decision-maker, like, okay, if we could go after this childcare thing and if it happens, then I'll come back.”
With plans for the 400m this week and possibly Worlds on the horizon, Felix’s professional athlete career is reaching the end of its journey. She and Athleta plan to have a street race in Los Angeles this August to commemorate her career.
“I’m really looking forward to just the celebration of that,” said Felix.
A New Chapter for Morris
Pole vaulter Sandi Morris is looking to make her outdoor comeback after she suffered an injury at last year’s Olympic Games. The 2022 Indoor World Champion is excited to be back at Hayward Field to compete for a spot on Team USA.
With any injury, Morris said, “you can either let it get you down and hold you down, or you can use that as motivation to make a big comeback.” She explained that her unsatisfying results at the Olympics has helped her focus on consistency and improvement in the pole vault.
“I wanted to go out there and let the world know Sandi Morris hasn’t gone anywhere,” said Morris. “I’m here. I’m going to go out there, I’m going to compete, I’m gonna give it my all every single time.”
Morris also discussed her training regimen at Wednesday’s press conference. Morris notably switched to a new coach after the Olympics and now trains under Brad Walker, who also works with 2020 Olympic gold medalist Katie Nageotte. Her choice in coach has “definitely raised a few eyebrows,” Morris said.
“In the end I decided there were way more pros than cons,” she said, explaining her decision to work with Walker. Morris believes that despite training with one of her top competitors in the sport, the balance that her coach provides them both has given her new insight and attitude in her event. She credits her improvement this season to the energy that comes from her training group.
“The power of two Olympic medalists is greater than the power of one,” Morris said.
Preparing for Worlds
The USATF press conference on Wednesday also included two-time Olympic gold medalist Athing Mu, gold medalist Michael Norman, Olympians Cole Hocker and Chrisitan Coleman, and World Indoor competitor Josette Norris. The athletes discussed their individual events and their hopes for the weekend.
“The Olympic Trials was my first time seeing Hayward Field,” said Norris, referencing the Trials last year where she finished eighth in the 5000m. “I came in excited but unsure of what was going to happen…I just feel a lot calmer [this year] and just more experienced going into this outdoor season.
Mu, who hasn’t raced much this season compared to last year as a collegiate and professional athlete, isn’t worried about how her 800m race will go this week.
“Coming into this meet, you just gotta make sure you relax,” said Mu. She said that despite an abundance of competitive events this year, she knows she’s in good shape and prepared for her event. “You just have to stay at ease and take it day by day, race by race,” Mu said.
As the country’s best athletes prepare for a long weekend of competition, excitement for the World Athletics Championship is growing. Knowing that this world-class competition will be held on U.S. soil for the first time adds even more energy to the athletes as they compete for a spot on Team USA.
“You can’t even put into words how much it’s going to mean,” said Morris. “It’s a historic moment.”