Day 5

By Lee Juillerat
These are the days the ghosts of Hayward Field get together and reminisce. So far, there's been much to talk about at the U.S. Olympic Trials for track and field. Tuesday and Wednesday are down days, with events not resuming until Thursday night for the final four days of what promises to be more thrilling action. Who knows what's next? That's part of the appeal.
There's no shortage of things to do in and around Eugene. For dreamers wanting to be the next Bernard Lagat or Tyson Gay there are running trails galore, including Pre's Trail, the nicely cushioned bark chip routes that meander around Alton Baker Park between the University of Oregon campus, Autzen Stadium and the Willamette River.
But when the running, jogging, walking or bicycling is done head over to campus, where a couple of special treats await. Best of all is the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, where the current exhibits include "Faster, Higher, Farther: The Spirit of Track and Field Sports." The museum walls are artfully filled with selected photos by David Burnett, Kenneth Jarecke,Annie Leibovitz and Dilip Mehta, many in color but some of the most dramatic are black and white.
All are excellent, but many are stunning. Burnett has a portfolio of dazzlers, including a dramatic black and white shot of the finish line in the 100 meter finals at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. The angle is eye-grabbing - no runners are visible, only their spiked shoes and their shadows just steps away from the line. Among the best Leibovitz images is shotputter John Godina, every muscle of his finely toned body in stop-action as he prepares to unleash his toss. You don't have to be a Hayward Field ghost to envision the motion, the grunt, the effort.
For many, the most haunting are a series of Mark Decker that chronicle the famous 1984 Olympics fall, when she tumbled to the track after being stepped on. The series, which feels like viewing a slow-motion replay, recalls her frustration and anger. The images, like all of those on display, give a sense of being there, of the agony and grace of competition.
In conjunction with the exhibit, which is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. during the Trials, the Schnitzer is also offering lectures and workshops and two complimentary exhibits. "Edward Burtynsky: The China Series," includes 20 large-scale images that reflect a changing China. Some of the shots are sobering: the mass of workers in a factory making running shoes; workers wearing matching pink-hooded outfits with blue aprons and gloves processing chickens; and rows of men and women walking to jobs. A smaller related exhibit, "The Thinking Body," as the curators neatly describe, "considers the human body is relation to its physical and intellectual environment." For information on the Schnitzer call 541-346-3027 or visit their website at jsma.uoregon.edu.
On the other side of campus is the Museum of Natural and Cultural History with its "Walk a Mile in These Shoes - The Stories They Tell." Featured are some of the sandals found by a team of archeologists led by Dr. Luther Cressman at the Fort Rock Cave in southeastern Oregon. Displayed, too, are Steve Prefontaine's running shoes. Call 541-346-3024 or visit their website at http://naturalhistory.uoregon.edu. Nearby the museum is the Knight Library with its display,"Leadership and Legacy: Olympic Tradition in Track Town, USA." The focus is Eugene's history of hosting the Trials and includes footage and videos from Hayward Field. Call 541-346-3053 or visit http://library.uoregon.edu/acs-svc/knighthours.html.
You may not see them, but don't be surprised if you're accompanied by ghosts of the past. Maybe someday we'll join them.