"We are honored that USATF has selected our city for another year for this prestigious event," said City of Albuquerque Mayor Richard J. Berry. "Our state-of-the-art indoor track facilities, newly resurfaced track and first-class hospitality and service have all contributed to Albuquerque being recognized as the Indoor Track Capital of the U.S. We look forward to welcoming the athletes, coaches, their families and friends to our city next spring as some of the highest levels of athleticism on are display right here in Albuquerque."
"We are very excited to return to Albuquerque in 2017 and to keep the momentum going of arguably the most successful year in track and field history," said Adam Schmenk, USATF Managing Director of Entertainment Properties and Events. "2016 showcased a dominant performance at both the IAAF World Indoor Championships as well as the Rio Olympic Games, where Team USA brought home 23 medals and 32 medals, respectively. Albuquerque has hosted many amazing track and field records and performances, and we look forward to returning to the city in March of 2017 for yet another exciting USATF Indoor Championships. This will be a signature event on the community's 2017 sport calendar and will help showcase the region's support of track and field at all levels."
Having hosted the championships from 2010 to 2014, Albuquerque is proud to welcome this esteemed sporting event back to the convention center. Among the great performances by American athletes at Albuquerque-hosted USATF Indoor Championships include:
· An American record in the women's high jump by Chaunté Lowe in 2012 (2.02m/5-7.5)
· A women's pole vault world record by Jenn Suhr in 2013 (5.02m/16-5.5)
· An American record in the pentathlon by Sharon Day-Monroe in 2014 (4,805)
"We are very proud of the local partnership that exists to bring this and other sporting events to Albuquerque and are thrilled to have this national event back in our city," said Tania Armenta, President & CEO of Visit Albuquerque. "Our success in the sports tourism arena continues to grow and its impact on the Albuquerque community is significant, including increased national awareness of the city, economic benefits and inspiration for our locals."
The City of Albuquerque has made numerous improvements to the city's state-of-the-art portable indoor track, including a full resurfacing of the Mondo oval last year. Touted as one of the top five fastest indoor tracks in the world, the red and white Mondo surface features 6-36" 200-meter lanes on the 60-degree banked oval and 8-42" 60-meter straightaway lanes running the entire length of the infield. Highlights of the portable indoor track surface include two jumping runways and pits, areas for shot put, weight throw and pole vault, and the infield lanes are used for the high jump.
Tickets for this event will be coordinated through the UNM's Ticketing Service. For more information on the USATF Indoor Championships, please visit www.USATF.org.
The official hashtag for the USATF Indoor Championships is #USATFindoors. Join the conversation along with USATF on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat.