U.S. track and field has lost its luster

Doping scandals, corruption, new sports have taken a toll

Bobby Poynter remembers a time when track and field mattered in the Bay Area.

Poynter was on the scene when San Jose was known as Speed City. Now Poynter, 83, can’t name the athletes competing in the Olympics as the Tokyo Games draw to a close with a week of track and field competition.

Poynter is not alone. Bill Toomey, the 1968 Olympic decathlon champion, said Wednesday he doesn’t know any of the names either.

A sport that once dominated headlines no longer enjoys the popularity it did with previous generations of American fans. While track and field remains an integral part of the Tokyo Games, the diversified Olympic program

DAI SUGANO — STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER “Track used to be the anchor sport” at the Olympics, says former track star Bobby Poynter, 83, of San Jose.