Echo Summit - Heritage Plaque
Plaque name: Echo Summit
Location: 21200 Highway 50, South Lake Tahoe CA 96155, USA.
Plaque awarded: 01/10/2024
Reason: Plaque Categories – Competition and Landmark
In 1968, Echo Summit, located in the Eldorado National Forest, above Lake Tahoe, served as the high-altitude training centre and site of the U.S. Olympic Men’s Track & Field Trials. The team which was selected there to represent the USA went on to win 12 gold medals and set six world records at the Mexico City Olympic Games, one of the most dominant performances in Olympic history.
To acclimate US athletes for the 7300-foot elevation of Mexico City, the US Olympic Committee held a two-month training camp and final Olympic selection meet for the ages at Echo Summit. The track was constructed with hundreds of trees left standing on the infield to minimise the environmental impact.
Four world records were broken at the Echo Summit Trials – John Carlos (200m, 19.7 seconds – not ratified due to wearing ‘brush spikes’), Lee Evans (400m, 44.0 sec), Geoff Vanderstock (400m Hurdles, 48.8 sec) and Bob Seagren (Pole Vault, 5.41m).