EDDIE PELLS
Fans watch during the World Athletics Championships on Friday, July 22, 2022, in Eugene, Ore. The running mecca that embedded Nike into American culture was an easy choice to host the first track world championships on U.S. soil. It will take time to determine whether Eugene, Oregon lived up to expectations.They say sagging viewership totals and flat revenue across the broader Olympic world make it critical to bring the cornerstone sport of the games back to its glory days in the U.S. before they return to Los Angeles in 2028. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Track looks to pump up US fan base ahead of 2028 LA Olympics

By Eddie Pells Jul. 24, 2022 02:06 PM EDT
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — When international track and field officials wanted to place

FILE - A view of the St. Petersburg Stadium prior to the Confederations Cup, Group A soccer match between Russia and New Zealand, Saturday, June 17, 2017. Russia has been stripped of hosting the Champions League final by UEFA with St. Petersburg replaced by Paris after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The men's final will still be held on May 28 but now at the 80,000-seat Stade de France after the decision by UEFA's executive committee. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin, File)
Ukraine invasion puts Russia's elite sports status at risk

By Eddie Pells Feb. 27, 2022 01:03 AM EST
Russia spent upwards of $50 billion to host the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, then