Archive for August, 2005

Caren Ware’s turn for world spotlight

Everyone has a story. And every masters athlete is fodder for the local sports section, especially this year. With the WMA world meet starting today, a 43-year-old California mom and track coach got her moment in the sun — in her local newspaper. Only problem with story: It suggested that the Hawaii masters nationals served […]

August 23, 2005   Posted in: Uncategorized  Comments Closed

Gerry Lindgren speaks: The Hawaii interview

USATF last year honored Gerry Lindgren for his legendary distance-running of the 1960s, electing him to the National Track & Field Hall of Fame. But fame doesn’t equate to familiarity. For many years, he was simply missing. Gone to Hawaii and purposeful obscurity. Debates raged over his mythical mileage (350 a week for six weeks? […]

August 22, 2005   Posted in: Uncategorized  3 Comments

Irene Obera comeback at 71 to be short-lived, she says

Hall of Famer Irene Obera, now 71 and looking to become the first W70 to break 15 seconds for the 100-meter dash, tells the San Mateo Times that after San Sebastian she’s returning to retirement. (She competed at the Hawaii nationals this month after an injury break of several years.) I chatted with Irene in […]

August 20, 2005   Posted in: Uncategorized  Comments Closed

Age-graded 9000-point decathlon in San Sebastian?

It’s possible. This coming Tuesday and Wednesday at the World Masters Athletic Championships in Spain, an American decathlete could put his event’s M40 world record into outer space. Kip Janvrin, who competed in the 2000 Sydney Olympics and vied for a national open title this past June in Carson, turned 40 on July 8.

August 20, 2005   Posted in: Uncategorized  One Comment

Rita Hanscom gets her 15 inches of fame

Don Norcross of The San Diego Union-Tribune produces a weekly section for page 2 of the Sports section called Fitness Fanatics. Over the years, he’s profiled many local masters, including vaulter/sprinter Nadine O’Connor, runner Monica Joyce, sprinter Kettrell Berry and middle-distance man Simeon Baldwin. Today he did a great feature on another older pole vaulter/sprinter: […]

August 19, 2005   Posted in: Uncategorized  Comments Closed

Results arrive from Helsinki IAAF masters events

Ask and you shall receive. Five days after masters competed in exhibition events at the IAAF world meet in Helsinki, I have the results. They came from the Lahden Ahkera club that put on the Lahti qualifying meet. The results cite an M50 world record in the javelin by Finnish great Jorma Markus, but his […]

August 18, 2005   Posted in: Uncategorized  Comments Closed

Athletes around the world offer personal masters advice

Hans Röcken is an M65 thrower in Germany. Marin Garrigues, born in 1965, holds a French age-group record in the 60-meter hurdles. Cornell Stephenson of Los Angeles is a trainer loves to set M40 relay records. And Marianna Biskup of Poland is a masters jumper. What do these folks have in common? They have generously […]

August 16, 2005   Posted in: Uncategorized  2 Comments

Masters events at IAAF world meet get no respect

It was supposed to be a milestone in the masters movement — age-group athletes performing on the world stage. Instead, it’s a mirage. I’m having a heck of a time finding results for the “athletics through generations show” exhibition events at the IAAF world meet in Helsinki, which were to take place after today’s marathon […]

August 13, 2005   Posted in: Uncategorized  Comments Closed

One runner’s experience: 8K race was no paradise

Even though it’s called a track championships, the masters nationals at Hawaii also featured non-track-and-field events, including racewalks and an 8-kilometer (almost 5-mile) cross country race Sunday with 150 entrants. For at least one experienced runner, though, the event was a cruel joke. The runner sent me a list of particulars privately, and I asked […]

August 13, 2005   Posted in: Uncategorized  2 Comments

Masters poobahs snipe over non-stadia championships

The presidential election in World Masters Athletics isn’t the only hotly contested race at the General Assembly this month in San Sebastian. Four men are vying for the No. 2 post in WMA — executive vice president. The four are Ron Bell and Winston Thomas of Britain, Monty Hacker of South Africa, and Vadim Marshev […]

August 12, 2005   Posted in: Uncategorized  Comments Closed