The selection of the host city was announced April 16, 2015 in Beijing.[4][5]
Runner's World magazine reported that Eugene's selection by the International Association of Athletics Federations was an "unusual move".[1] They report the Association "bypassed the usual bidding process", and that the choice of Eugene will make the 2021 event "the first held in the United States".
The Guardian reported that the lack of bidding triggered concern in European cities that had bid to host the event.[3] They quoted Lamine Diack the IAAF's president, who justified the lack of bidding with the claim the selection of Eugene to host the event, “enables us to take advantage of a unique opportunity that may never arise again.” The lack of bidding for the 2021 event was not unprecedented. The 2007 World Championship was awarded to Osaka, Japan, without bidding.
^Christopher Clarey (2015-04-16). "Without Bidding, Eugene, Ore., Is Abruptly Awarded World Track Championships". New York Times. p. B12. Retrieved 2015-08-29. There was surprise in multiple time zones on Thursday when Eugene, Ore., became the first city in the United States to secure the world outdoor track and field championships. It will stage them in 2021 without the usual constraint of having had to win a formal bidding process.
