British Olympic Association Chair Sebastian Coe "will keep a close eye on the future of athletics" in Sheffield with the Don Valley Stadium track due to close in September, according to Laura Williamson of the London DAILY MAIL. Coe, who grew up in the city, insisted that the decision "was not a slight on the Olympic legacy" and said the plans to refurbish nearby Woodbourn Road were "actually quite thoughtful." Don Valley, "the second largest track and field facility in the country," will close later this year after Sheffield City Council opted to save £700,000 ($1.05M) a year as part of £50M ($75M) of cuts. Coe said, "My own instinct is if Sheffield are not committing to international track and field then I can understand why a 25,000-seater arena that costs £700,000 a year to maintain is a drain on the resources." Coe also admitted that the BOA "may not appoint" a new CEO after the departure of Andy Hunt, who resigned last month. Coe said, "We are still looking at all sorts of things. We’ve got a very good management team in there that’s doing an extremely good job" (DAILY MAIL, 3/11).
