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Autzen Stadium since 2003, but had been informed several weeks earlier that the facility should <br />have been closed in 2005. She related that the renovations at Hayward Field had been undertaken <br />with no foresight with regard to training, leaving her with no place to go to train. She was excited <br />to see that the land was being returned to its natural state, but it was challenging to find a solution <br />for her and a dozen other track and field athletes. She asked the committee to provide an <br />extension of some kind until the hammer throw athletes could find a long -term solution a new <br />facility would provide. <br />Mr. Cooper asked when Hayward Field would be ready. Ms. Hinchcliffe replied that she did not <br />know. She said the field was being restored and the University was building a larger hammer <br />throw facility. <br />Ms. Nunn requested some background information on the sport. Chip Tolbert, hammer throw <br />coach, stated that the hammer throw takes approximately two acres of land. He explained that <br />Irish kings had thrown hammers to settle disputes. He related that the Russians hold it as a high <br />event. He noted that he had been brought to the United States from Scotland 22 years ago to <br />coach the hammer throw because prior to that the United States had not had any hammer throw <br />athletes in the top 50 in the world. He said Lance Deal had achieved number 1 in the world in <br />1996 and had trained in the hammer throw area located within the Whilamut Natural Area. <br />Lance Deal recalled that he had come before the committee and requested more time in 1994 and <br />the committee had "generously granted" it. He related that he had recently met with Parks and <br />Open Space Director, Johnny Medlin, and it appeared that there were some alternative sites. He <br />stressed that the athletes were diligently working to create something else as quickly as possible. <br />He said it was challenging given that a hammer throw cage would have to be constructed and <br />there would have to be some protections installed to keep the facility from being vandalized. He <br />noted that the University had just dug up all of the grass in the hammer throw field at Hayward <br />Field and had replanted it. He said it was being protected in order to keep the sod in the best <br />condition possible. <br />Mr. Holliter asked if the hammer throw athletes had considered asking Phil Knight for money. <br />Mr. Tolbert replied that hammer throwers do not use enough shoes. He asked that the committee <br />consider allowing the hammer throw athletes to continue training until the Olympic Trials were <br />over. <br />Ms. Behm asked how long that would be. Mr. Tolbert responded that the trials would end in <br />July, some 260 days from the present. <br />Ms. Nunn suggested that the athletes contact Civic Stadium. Mr. Tolbert explained that the <br />stadium was not stipulated for that use. <br />Mr. Medlin related that he and Mr. Deal had discussed putting in a facility in the area where the <br />Active 20/30 Club put on its fireworks display every year. He said they had considered some <br />way of lowering the cage when the area was not in use for training in order to make it less <br />visually "impactful." He had committed to providing the grading for the slab but the City would <br />not be able to do anything about the cage itself. <br />MINUTES — Citizen Planning Committee of the October 11, 2007 Page 2 <br />Whilamut Natural Area <br />