WCH Oregon22 celebrates International Women’s Day, announces sessions devoted to Women in the Spotlight

In recognition of International Women’s Day (IWD) on March 8, the local organizing committee (LOC) for the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 today announced a pledge to honor women in sport as part of a “Women in the Spotlight” initiative centered on July 18.

“The schedule of events on July 18 felt like the perfect opportunity to shine a spotlight on women at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22,” said Sarah Massey, CEO of Oregon22, LLC. “The incredible competition will lend itself perfectly to an emphatic celebration of women in athletics.”

That fourth day of competition will showcase key moments for a range of women’s events. The women’s marathon will be taking place at 6:15 a.m. PDT. The athletes representing the United States in that event will be Molly Seidel, the bronze medalist in the marathon at the Tokyo Olympics; Sara Hall, the American record holder in the half marathon; and Emma Bates, the second-place finisher at the 2021 Chicago Marathon.

The morning session on July 18 features the women’s heptathlon, which will conclude during the evening session. The evening session also features the women’s triple jump final, and the culminating event of the night, the women’s 1500m final. Crowds are sure to be treated to spectacular performances from the likes of Nafissatou Thiam, the two-time Olympic heptathlon gold medalist from Belgium; the Venezuelan Yulimar Rojas, the defending World Champion who also holds the world record in the triple jump; and Faith Kipyegon, the multi-time World Championships and Olympic medalist in the 1500m from Kenya.

Tickets to the morning session are available here; tickets to the evening session are available here. The women’s marathon will be free to the public, with spectators able to line the course along the streets of Eugene and Springfield.

The event presentation in-stadium on July 18 will be devoted to honoring women in track and field and will also include specific programming highlighting historic moments and heroes as well as the accomplishments of current superstars.

As a result of World Athletics’ IWD pledges last year, a review of World Athletics Series Events scheduling will see WCH Oregon22 end with the women’s 4x400m relay for the first time in event history. Additionally, plans are underway for a summit and panel discussion focused on the roles and opportunities for women in athletics to be held during the Championships. This will be a collaborative project between World Athletics’ Gender Leadership Taskforce, WCH Oregon22, USA Track & Field, and the University of Oregon.

WCH Oregon22 made its first IWD pledge in 2021. To grow the number of women in leadership, the LOC committed to have a gender-balanced board of directors. Read more about the pledges here.

The LOC is also supporting the World Athletics #BreaktheBias campaign, and invites all athletes, officials, and fans to share their stories of inspiring women. You can find out how to get involved here.

The World Athletics Championships Oregon22 will take place July 15–24; this iteration will mark the first time the event takes place on U.S. soil. General event information can be found here.  

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About Oregon22, LLC     

Oregon22, LLC is the local organizing committee managing the 18th edition of the World Athletics Championships. The World Athletics Championships Oregon22 will be held at Hayward Field at the University of Oregon and will be delivered in partnership with USA Track & Field. It is the first time the competition will take place in the United States, with 2,000 athletes from more than 200 nations expected to compete July 15–24, 2022. Oregon22, LLC is committed to delivering an unmissable experience that will showcase the State of Oregon and the sport of track and field globally.     

For more information, contact: media@worldchampsoregon22.com