Archive for June, 2003

Gina Kolata’s book talks to masters

Like many masters, I eat up any advice on how to get faster and stronger. Now I’ve finished a book that does something better than build biceps — it tones your thinking about training. “Ultimate Fitness: The Quest for Truth About Exercise and Health” is a stunner. Written by W55 science reporter Gina Kolata of […]

June 28, 2003   Posted in: Uncategorized  Comments Closed

Dash of the centuries due in Puerto Rico

Next week’s 15th World Masters Athletics Championships will have dozens of dramatic dashes — but none as momentous as the slowest. For the first time in WAVA/WMA meet history, two centenarians will line up beside each other in the same race. Waldo McBurney of Kansas and Everett Hosack of Ohio will face each other on […]

June 27, 2003   Posted in: Uncategorized  3 Comments

Hayward masters meet indeed a Classic

Tony Young, 41, of Redmond, Wash. — competing against runners his own age for once — smashed the listed American M40 outdoor record for 3,000 meters Saturday at the Hayward Classic in Eugene, Oregon. And he wasn’t the only great miler making the rounds. In the W65 mile, Canadian Diane Palmason, 65, clocked 6:21.54 to […]

June 25, 2003   Posted in: Uncategorized  Comments Closed

Cubans missing from WMA worlds?

I’m a little worried about the Puerto Rico WMA organizers. They don’t have Cuba on their list of entered countries, but news stories have said that at least three former Cuban stars have been specifically invited to compete — including Olympic 800 great Ana Fidelia Quirot, who turned 40 in March. I’ve written a bunch […]

June 23, 2003   Posted in: Uncategorized  Comments Closed

Jumping the gun on 2004 WMA Indoors

The German town of Sindelfingen hasn’t officially been chosen to host the inaugural 2004 World Indoor Masters Championships. Indeed, WMA has not even officially scheduled a 2004 WC indoor meet. But WMA Emperor Torsten Carlius already is touting the event Web site. Carlius pretends to take pains to call the meet site a WMA Council […]

June 22, 2003   Posted in: Uncategorized  Comments Closed

WMA officials are not monolithic

Officials of World Masters Athletics are not all ethics-challenged. Many quietly execute their duties with sensitivity to the sport and its athletes. One is world champion and world record holder Ralph Romain of Trinidad and Tobago, one of the greatest masters quarter-milers of all time. I alerted him to my WMA conflict post, and he […]

June 20, 2003   Posted in: Uncategorized  Comments Closed

Mastersgate — sorting out the confusion

I’m distressed by some reactions to my WMA conflict-of-interest rant. They boil down to: “Say what?” Or “Who cares?” The former call my screed “disjointed” and confusing. The latter wonder what the big deal is. OK, I’ll try again. But first I should make clear that I’m not against Masters Games. Except when they are […]

June 20, 2003   Posted in: Uncategorized  2 Comments

WMA Council violates own conflict-of-interest laws

The WMA Web site recently deep-sixed its public Forum. Could the WMA Constitution and Bylaws be next? A close reading of WMA rules reveals that at least four members of the WMA Council — including two-term President Torsten Carlius of Sweden — are guilty of violating conflict-of-interest provisions of the world governing body of masters […]

June 19, 2003   Posted in: Uncategorized  3 Comments

Tony Young describes record mile race

Tony Young of Redmond, Washington, turned 41 in April but hasn’t shown signs of slowing after his record-setting M40 debut in 2002. Saturday at the Seattle International Track & Field Classic, Tony lowered his own USA masters outdoor mile record to 4:07.25, breaking the 4:09.61 he ran at the same meet a year earlier. Tony […]

June 16, 2003   Posted in: Uncategorized  Comments Closed

USATF chief rips WMA Council on 2004 meet

USATF Masters Track & Field Chairman George Mathews has a strongly worded column in the current June issue of National Masters News titled “Status of the Inaugural World Indoor Championships.” Traditionally and rightly, the same column is posted within days on the USATF Web site. But not this month. I wrote to USATF webmaster Keith […]

June 13, 2003   Posted in: Uncategorized  Comments Closed