Archive for April, 2008

Did French M35 hurdler get unfair advantage at worlds?

(Updated at 7 p.m. April 18: Check out the latest development at this post.) An eagle-eyed athlete who competed in Clermont-Ferrand checked out the Linda Carty videos and spotted a potential problem: a hurdler practicing starts as a race was being contested nearby. Uh oh. Is this kosher? Check out this clip. I was asked: […]

April 18, 2008   Posted in: Uncategorized  9 Comments

Clermont-Ferrand world indoor records still up in the air

Under World Masters Athletics policies, world records set at WMA world meets are automatically recognized without the hoop-jumping required of athletes in other meets. Well, maybe not. According to a post this week on the WMA Web site, Sandy Pashkin is calling for more confirmation info before certifying records set at the recent Clermont-Ferrand world […]

April 17, 2008   Posted in: Uncategorized  One Comment

Hall of Famer Dale Lance girds for Parkinson’s surgery

In July 1995, Dale Lance of Oklahoma set a then M55 world record in the decathlon, scoring 8179 points at the WAVA world championships in Buffalo, New York. The previous record holder, Werner Schallau of Germany, bestowed on Dale the nickname “Superman.” In 2004, the last year he competed, Dale was inducted into the USATF […]

April 17, 2008   Posted in: Uncategorized  4 Comments

Dave Ortman: California masters meets need quake plan

If you live in California, you don’t give earthquakes a second thought. They’re a part of the landscape. But others were a little shaken by recent news reports that scientists predict the near certainty of a Big One in the Golden State by the year 2037. Among those who noticed the story was Dave Ortman […]

April 17, 2008   Posted in: Uncategorized  3 Comments

FerringUSA confirms Sprint Force America sponsorship

Sean Callahan, editor of Masters Athlete magazine, contributed to my Masters Athlete blog entry today, and it expands on my earlier scoop that FerringUSA, the pharmaceutical company behind Euflexxa (the knee arthritis treatment), is sponsoring athletes from Sprint Force America. But the Masters Athlete entry also indicates that the deal is for one year (with […]

April 16, 2008   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments

David O’Meara aims for 20 sub-5s ‘for the love of the mile’

David O’Meara You’ve heard of road-aholics who commit themselves to running a marathon a week for 52 weeks, or whatever. That’s so 1990s. Meet mile maniac David O’Meara, 45, of Sarasota, Florida. His new idea: running 20 mile races over 20 weeks under 5 minutes each, beginning May 10. Not bad for a reformed tennis […]

April 16, 2008   Posted in: Uncategorized  2 Comments

Masters hurdlers to run 42-inchers at Mt. SAC Relays

Don Drummond, 38, and David Ashford, 45, will be in adjacent lanes this Sunday when a heat of the men’s 110-meter high hurdles goes off at 1:50 p.m. at the Mt. SAC Relays. For Don, the 42-inch “international” barriers should be little problem. But I’m eager to see how M45 David negotiates the higher sticks. […]

April 15, 2008   Posted in: Uncategorized  5 Comments

Kenny Dennis, masters sprint legend, dies in Las Vegas

I spoke by phone tonight with Nick Newton, a masters superstar in his own right, who confirmed the news I’d received in email from several sources — that Kenny Dennis of Las Vegas had died two weeks ago during a knee procedure at a local hospital. Apparently, a heart blockage led to his death during […]

April 14, 2008   Posted in: Uncategorized  12 Comments

M45 Adkins wins masters mile at Johnny Mathis invite

Johnny Mathis was a prep high jump star in the 1950s before he was a singer of some note. But his annual invitational meet in San Francisco caters to masters milers. On Saturday, Jeff Adkins, 47, won the race in a nifty 4:41.25 as five runners broke 5.

April 14, 2008   Posted in: Uncategorized  One Comment

Drugmaker to sponsor 24 Sprint Force America members

Ferring features this diagram on its Web site. Sprint Force America, a New York-based masters track club, has found the Holy Grail — a corporate sponsor to underwrite two years of competition at major meets for at least 24 athletes, some in their 70s. The sponsor is the Swiss-based drugmaker Ferring Pharmaceuticals, whose U.S. arm […]

April 14, 2008   Posted in: Uncategorized  5 Comments