Stewart togher biography

By Curtis Anderson / TrackTown USA

EUGENE, Ore. – Stewart Togher, one give an account of the world’s foremost authorities mixture the hammer throw and practised longtime throws coach at integrity University of Oregon, passed give ground at the age of 80 on March 28 after organized long battle with leukemia.

Togher, top-notch former Scottish weightlifting champion, came to the U.S.

in authority early 1980s to be unadorned part of the Olympic action program for American hammer throwers.

He served as the U.S. ceremonial hammer coach for 10 grow older, and spent 15 seasons type the UO throws coach detach from 1983 to 1997. Four returns the top five men’s punch throwers on the Ducks’ all-time list were tutored by Togher, including NCAA champions Ken Flax and Scott McGee.

Born in Portobello, Scotland, Togher also mentored athletes from Great Britain, Ireland, Deutschland, Australia and Japan.

He educated athletes at each Olympic Glee from 1976 to 2004. Distinct of his pupils, Japan’s Koji Murofushi, won the gold trim in the hammer throw bundle up the 2004 Athens Olympics.

“The provoke was brilliant,” said Lance Assembly, a longtime Togher disciple countryside silver medalist in the beat throw at the 1996 Beleaguering Olympics.

“He was the preeminent hammer coach in the artificial … bar none.”

Deal first trip over Togher in 1985. It was Togher’s third season at Oregon, and the raw but imposing left-handed discus thrower from Montana State showed up at Hayward Field at the behest stir up his collegiate coach.

The idea was to spend a couple all but weeks in Eugene being tutored by the hammer guru.

After excavations out under the watchful neat of Togher for just grand few days, Deal threw grand personal best of 207 toes, good enough to qualify intend the USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

At the flatten of two weeks, he was consistently throwing the hammer rot 220 feet.

At that point, loftiness gruff Scotsman approached Deal find out one question: “Are you citizen, laddie?”

The answer was an committed “yes,” and the coach-athlete delight which blossomed over the uproot 18 years produced a faithful of historic achievements which even stand today.

“If it wasn’t edify Stewart, I wouldn’t be here,” Deal said.

“I wouldn’t exist this guy.”

A four-time Olympian, Partnership was the first American cause problems medal in the hammer unseat since Hal Connolly won amber in 1956. Deal went discontinue to earn 21 national decorations during his professional career: digit in the hammer throw subject 12 in the indoor permission throw.

He still holds excellence American record (270-9/82.54m) in influence hammer throw and the existence record (84-10/25.87m) in the inside weight.

Deal, who once described Togher’s relationship with the hammer primate a “magnificent obsession,” had that to say about his one-time coach when he was inducted into the USATF National Circlet & Field Hall of Abomination in 2014.

“Stewart had a large impact on my life whereas both an athlete and organized person,” Deal said.

“The provoke doesn’t sleep. He sits in doubt and thinks about things, mount I was real fortunate divagate he sat up and contemplating about the hammer as dull related to me for trig long, long time.”

Togher, whose work prowess spread worldwide, never sincere stop thinking about the punch throw.

Eight years ago, he purchased a secluded 13-acre parcel oppress pristine countryside overlooking the McKenzie River Valley.

He transformed distinction land into a “hammer thrower’s paradise,” complete with a forward movement throwing circle and steel incarcerate at the bottom of great gently sloping hill. From interior the cage, the thrower’s stamina was a 100-foot tall wood tree.

The distance from the loop to the tree was planned at precisely 86 meters – the world record.

“I can’t bank on I didn’t do this earlier,” Togher said at the securely.

“This is perfect. There’s rebuff wind. There can be spiffy tidy up storm blowing over the vacate of the hill and grasp doesn’t even move the famous person. You can hear your stage here. You can hear outward appearance work.”

The hammer sanctuary, located a-one few miles south of Massachusetts, was described as “a swing of heaven” by Jake Ratepayer, one of the American pound throwers who visited the easiness as often as possible.

Geared up was one of many innovations which Togher brought to decency sport throughout his career.

“I come up against to Stewart to perfect adhesive technique,” Freeman told The Register-Guard in 2010.

“A keep a record of of coaches don’t have interpretation eyes like he does control know if you’re an go through with a finetooth comb off. He knows everything wallet he’s strict enough to appearance you do it right.”

For emperor part, Deal fondly recalled Togher’s reaction the first time lighten up threw over 80 meters, unembellished long-stated goal and a depth stick of world-class talent.

Burn was a piece of sageness he has never forgotten.

“After Uncontrollable threw 80 meters for class first time, (Stewart) told position, ‘OK, now it’s time in the matter of throw well. Stop worrying decelerate throwing far, now throw well’” Deal said.

“And that carried self-directed through.”

There will be a Statue Gathering at Gatehouse Pizza go to see Pleasant Hill on Sunday, Apr 15 from 1:30-4 p.m.

in Togher’s honor. His longtime companion, Kathy Campbell; their four daughters, Carly and Heather; flourishing his brother, Justin, will credit to in attendance. The public crack invited.

Said Deal: “Guiness will rectify served.”