After nearly four decades of bypassing the United States, track and field's marquee event is finally headed to the country that has been the dominant force in the sport. The small Oregon city of Eugene, a town steeped in American track history and the home of the University of Oregon, was surprisingly chosen yesterday as host of the 2021 world athletics championships. The IAAF, the governing body of the sport, said the decision was driven by the popularity of track and field in the American market. The world athletics championships have been held every two years since 1991, the third edition of the competition. The first world championships were held in 1983 in Helsinki, Finland, followed by Rome in 1987. The 2015 competition will be held in Beijing, followed by London in 2017 and Doha, Qatar, in 2019.