Archive for November, 2015

Steve Filipski dies at 66; national-class thrower was friend to many

Masters weight folks are again mourning another loss. Steve Filipski, an M65 Texas thrower nationally ranked since at least 2000, died of a heart attack over the weekend, Seth Brower reports. “This is a huge shock to the throwing community and the Texas Throwers Club as we all just competed together last month at the […]

November 10, 2015   Posted in: Uncategorized  2 Comments

Should any sanctions against Russia penalize their masters as well?

IAAF and IOC are thinking about banning Russia from the 2016 Rio Olympics. The monster WADA report on Russia’s doping system, summarized here, doesn’t mention “masters” or “veterans.” But WMA generally follows the lead of IAAF. In the 1970s, when the World Association of Veteran Athletes was formed, a titanic battle over South African participation […]

November 9, 2015   Posted in: Uncategorized  4 Comments

WMA mulling out-of-competition (at-home) drug testing in 2016

According to the minutes of the Lyon General Assembly, masters in 2016 may join elites in being drug-tested at their homes. So-called “out of competition” testing is a nuisance for the kiddies, but it would be a holy hassle for masters athletes. All I know is this: “After talking with the IAAF, we will look […]

November 8, 2015   Posted in: Uncategorized  30 Comments

IAAF doping scandal cheats World’s Best Masters of proper honors

I presume Britain’s David Heath and Germany’s Silke Schmidt have heard the news — that they won’t be honored at the IAAF Gala in Monaco. The Nov. 28 shindig has been canceled. The doping/bribery scandal is to blame. The WMA Athletes of the Year thus are cheated of a great party and recognition. I’m hoping […]

November 7, 2015   Posted in: Uncategorized  One Comment

USADA provides chapter, verse for taking away Arello’s medals

Annie Skinner, senior communications manager for the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency in Colorado Springs, got back to me Friday. I had written her nine days earlier with the simple question: Why did Robert Arello lose his medals if he was granted a post-event TUE? She began by saying: “We appreciate your interest in clean sport” and […]

November 6, 2015   Posted in: Uncategorized  2 Comments

W40 Russian runner loses world marathon record, gets 2-year ban

Russia’s Mariya Konovalova, who until 2010 was primarily a track star, set a W40 world record in the marathon in March. But oops! She’s no longer the record-holder. Runner’s World reports that Mariya, who took fifth in the 2008 Olympic 10K and 11th at 2009 IAAF worlds, “has received a two-year ban because of irregularities […]

November 5, 2015   Posted in: Uncategorized  2 Comments

Carroll DeWeese elected to his hometown city council in Michigan

Masters official Carroll DeWeese, a recent David Pain Award winner, licked cancer. Now he’s hoping to cure what ails Birmingham. Michigan. On Tuesday he took fourth out of 13 candidates for the City Commission, a four-year gig. (See a ton of coverage.) But the commission had four openings. He got 1,492 votes and beat the […]

November 4, 2015   Posted in: Uncategorized  6 Comments

Toronto sets sights on hosting 2020 worlds, launches WMA bid

Ontario masters track maven Doug “Shaggy” Smith announced Tuesday on Facebook that Toronto [update: may] seek to host the 2020 World Masters Athletics Championships. He’s already set up a FB page to promote the bid. Doug tells me he’s unlikely to be the LOC chairman. But he got the ball rolling. He hasn’t heard of […]

November 3, 2015   Posted in: Uncategorized  6 Comments

Perth 2016 organizers forecast modest-sized world masters meet

A smaller and gentler worlds is coming next year, according to a Western Australia report (get used to seeeing “WA” everywhere). “More than 4,000 athletes are expected to descend on WA for the World Masters Athletics Championships to be held in Perth next year,” said a local outlet. That’s half the 8,000 at Lyon this […]

November 2, 2015   Posted in: Uncategorized  5 Comments

Bob Arello denies diuretic was meant to mask doping at Seattle

Bob Arello, the world-class M55 thrower, responded Wednesday to my queries in the wake of his USADA warning. But his email went into my spam folder, and I didn’t see it until Sunday. Sorry. Bob writes that he’s been taking Exforge (three meds in one tablet, not HCT by itself) since around 2000 and says […]

November 1, 2015   Posted in: Uncategorized  9 Comments