A remodeled Hayward Field will “absolutely” be ready by the 2020 Olympic trials, Tracktown USA president Vin Lananna told the media Saturday afternoon before the Prefontaine Classic.
The new facility is being built to accommodate the massive infrastructure and crowd needs of the 2021 IAAF Outdoor World Championships, which are being held for the first time in the United States at Hayward Field.
While no details have been made available about the new Hayward Field, Lananna said that the planners know what the expectations are.
“We know we have to host 30,000, and we have to do the right thing for the university and the sport,” Lananna said. “We don’t want to have this white elephant of a stadium that isn’t filled. We have to be able to create events in this country that allow us to build up the interest in the sport.”
There is no official date set for the 2021 worlds, but Lananna speculated that it would be sometime in August.
“It’s a matter of what makes sense not only for the event itself, but what works for the university,” Lananna said. “We will shut down a good portion of the campus.”
The University of Oregon will have to undergo substantial infrastructure changes to its campus to fulfill the needs of the event, Lananna said.
“All the residence halls will be taken, including new halls that will be built by the time the event arrives,” Lananna said. “Matthew Knight Arena, the Law School and EMU are buildings that will be used for the athletes to use as well.”
Although there will be extensive work on Hayward, Lananna said that won’t be a problem for other events. “I’m confident that every major event here will go on as usual during the construction of the new Hayward,” he said.
