Archive for October, 2005

Dear Abby: What she should have said to ‘Older Athlete’

Today’s episode of Dear Abby deals with masters sports, and it’s more evidence that some doctors practice CYA (cover your butt) more than medicine. The latest incarnation of the syndicated advice columnist gets a question from a W55 triathlete.

October 12, 2005   Posted in: Uncategorized  2 Comments

WMA home page stands for ‘We Mandate Aristocracy’

Below is a screenshot of the WMA Web site. We’ve just had a World Masters Athletics Championships, so you might expect some image of skill, speed or strength. But instead of highlighting any of the 6,033 entrants at the San Sebastian world meet, what’s chosen to illustrate our sport? The WMA Council. That’s weak, son.

October 11, 2005   Posted in: Uncategorized  Comments Closed

Geezers say the coolest things — and grow on us

Mavis Hutchison, 80, is known as the “Galloping Granny” down south — down in South Africa, that is. A former resident of Durban, site of the 1997 World Masters Athletics Championships, Mavis knows how to play the press. Today’s news from the South African Broadcasting Corp. (SABCnews) quotes Mavis as saying: We have to have […]

October 10, 2005   Posted in: Uncategorized  Comments Closed

Don Pellman setting record for most records as an M90

Don Pellman lives south of San Francisco in Mountain View, California, and if you haven’t heard much about him, trust me, you will. Page 4 of the current issue of National Masters News features him with a story headlined “90-year-old breaks seven world records” and a first paragraph that represents something of a break with […]

October 9, 2005   Posted in: Uncategorized  One Comment

Designer sprinter: James Chinn a study in how to hold onto speed

I look for inspiration everywhere. Folks who overcome adversity. Folks who excel through discipline. I especially like learning of folks who were slower than me in my kiddy days but who still kick butt. In the case of architect Jim Chinn of San Marcos, California, that’s serious world-title butt. He won the M45 400 in […]

October 8, 2005   Posted in: Uncategorized  Comments Closed

A chat with M45 James Chinn, world, national 400 champion

Posted October 8, 2005 By Ken Stone James Chinn grew up where it was hot but didn’t really start to sizzle in track until after turning 40. Born Nov. 26, 1958, in Tucson, Arizona, where he graduated from Rincon High School in 1976 and the University of Arizona (with an architecture degree) in 1981, he […]

October 8, 2005   Posted in: Uncategorized  Comments Closed

Dan O’Brien mulling masters comeback in decathlon?

Kip Janvrin, step aside? Olympic champ Dan O’Brien appears to be intrigued by masters competition. (He turns 40 in July 2006.) In a chat with the Portland Tribune the other day, he mentions having been impressed with Willie Gault’s showing in a masters 110 hurdles or sprint.

October 7, 2005   Posted in: Uncategorized  One Comment

Track season (and centenarians) still going full-steam

Think track season is over? Au contraire! Masters know no season, and in both hemispheres, major events featuring track and field events are under way. In St. George, Utah, it’s the misnomered Huntsman World Senior Games, where track has been contested since Monday. In Adelaide, the Australian version of the National Senior Olympics began today. […]

October 6, 2005   Posted in: Uncategorized  One Comment

R.I.P. John Whittemore: World’s oldest track athlete

This past Saturday, the Club West Masters Meet in Santa Barbara was missing its heart. Longtime masters athlete John Whittemore of nearby Montecito was not present. Whittemore, an inspiring presence at the Club West meet over the years, died April 13, 2005, at the age of 105. He died of still-unreported causes at the Mission […]

October 5, 2005   Posted in: Uncategorized  2 Comments

Ultramarathoner launches fund for masters athletes

So far, this looks legit. An ultramarathoner named Katy Cotton in Wyoming writes to inform me of a nonprofit charitable group called the International Masters Athletics Foundation that aims to help masters athletes in their athletic endeavors. The group got some local publicity in April 2005.

October 4, 2005   Posted in: Uncategorized  Comments Closed