The Eugene, Cascades & Coast Sports Commission awarded a special Sports Legacy Award to Tom Jordan, a true Eugene legend within the track and field community. This award is bestowed to those who have made a meaningful and lasting impact within the sports community.
Over more than two decades, Jordan and business partner Barbara Kousky worked to bid and secure the World Veterans’ Championships in 1989 and many other national and international track and field events. In 2008, the U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Track & Field made their triumphant return to Eugene and Hayward Field at the University of Oregon after 28 years. Jordan served as the events co-director of Eugene ‘08, and has been a committee chair on the organizing committees for each of the Olympic Trials in Eugene that followed in 2012 and 2016.
Further adding to the legacy of the sport, he is the author of the definitive book on Steve Prefontaine’s track and field accomplishments, Pre, published in 1977.
One of Jordan’s career achievements has been his decades-long work as Meet Director of the Nike Prefontaine Classic, one of the top World Athletics’ (formerly the IAAF) Diamond League meets in the world. From the start, Jordan has been an integral part of weaving together Eugene's distinguished reputation within the sport.
Eugene, Cascades & Coast Sports Commission Sports Leadership Award
The Sports Leadership award went to Moodo Taekwondo owner Timothy Greathouse for pioneering a new kind of event in the Oregon State Hanmandang. This award is presented to a local resident or business that is directly responsible for the confirmation of a sports event which brings in a significant number of overnight visitors to Lane County.
The Oregon State Hanmandang brings all styles of martial arts into one competition. Starting from scratch, this event doubled its attendance in its second year and continues to grow, drawing people from all over the country. This includes Taekwondo Grand Masters who are now seen in attendance at the event. The passion and creativity that Greathouse brings to planning this event has created energy both in the local community as well as in the national martial arts world.
Link to award video: https://youtu.be/pFahs4x0enc
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