Archive for December, 2015

USATF Masters Hall of Fame 2015: Q&A with George Mathews

I confess I’ve been a pain in George Mathews’ butt in the past, especially when he was national chairman of the USATF Masters T&F Committee before our current czar Gary Snyder. But I’ve always admired his dedication to putting on top-flight events and competing at a world-class level. He’s a hammer specialist. So I was […]

December 20, 2015   Posted in: Uncategorized  15 Comments

USADA approved only 275 TUEs for all sports, all ages in 2014

I wrote USADA last week, asking if the doping cops had a count of how many masters tracksters have applied for TUEs — therapeutic use exemptions. Friday, a spokesman named Ryan Madden responded. He couldn’t give me a breakdown by sport or age group. But the report he references was revealing. It said that in […]

December 18, 2015   Posted in: Uncategorized  6 Comments

USATF Masters Hall of Fame 2015: Q&A with Oscar Peyton

USATF doesn’t do justice to its Masters Hall of Famers — especially in recognizing new classes. Indy just releases the names. So last week I sent queries to the new HofFamers, and I’ll post their responses here. First up: Oscar Peyton, of Accokeek, Maryland, the hero of skinny sprinters everywhere. He replied Dec. 9.

December 17, 2015   Posted in: Uncategorized  14 Comments

Gabre Gabric dies at 101; starred in No. 1 masters documentary

Two-time Olympian Gabre Gabric, a star of Jan Tenhaven’s masters track documentary “Autumn Gold,” died Wednesday in her hometown of Brescia, Italy, Jan reports on his website. Gabre was 101. “She passed away very peacefully late this morning,” he writes. “She had suffered a stroke but did not even realize. She had been at the […]

December 16, 2015   Posted in: Uncategorized  7 Comments

Kay Glynn at 62 still the bee’s knees as a dancer, holiday poster girl

Another mcom exclusive! Kay Glynn, W60 vaulter and hurdler, shares her 8th annual Christmas Card from Iowa. She writes: “This is not an optical illusion or fancy Photoshopping.  It’s just a coordination of body parts; although at 62, some body parts are getting to be less cooperative!” After a long recovery from hip surgery, she’s headed for […]

December 15, 2015   Posted in: Uncategorized  3 Comments

Hotrod legend Bill Burke dies at 97; was masters pioneer in 1970s

I never knew William R. “Bill” Burke, once known as “Mr. Hotrod.” But after he died Nov. 25 from a massive stroke, I began to learn his story. His obituary told of him being a speed racer of automobiles in the 1930s before joining the masters track circuit in the late 1970s. He’s often noted […]

December 14, 2015   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments

Athletics New Zealand reports Bruce Clarke death in shot accident

The news we were hoping not to report has come to pass: “A Hamilton man has died after a shot put struck him on the head during an athletics meeting at Mt Smart Stadium,” local media reported Monday. Bruce Clarke, 77, was competing at the North Island masters track and field championships late last month […]

December 13, 2015   Posted in: Uncategorized  One Comment

How Dr. Tissenbaum healed thyself, returned to top of sprint world

When M55 Allan Tissenbaum won the 100 in Lyon (and later golds in both relays), it was the climax of an incredible comeback from injury at 2013 Olathe nationals, where he tore a hammie about 40 meters into the 100 final. Ironically, he has written advice columns about such injuries. That’s because he’s an orthopedic […]

December 12, 2015   Posted in: Uncategorized  13 Comments

Go, Vera, go! But your W80 beer mile WR could fall anytime soon

Beer milers are getting older. The record may be held by Elvira “Vera” Montes of Texas. The headline on her feat caught my eye: “Texas grandmother, 81, smashes beer mile, says she could have ‘run a lot faster’ drinking scotch.” One local report says Elvira of El Paso beat her 47-year-old daughter Renee Reynolds’ time […]

December 11, 2015   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments

American W35 relay team awarded Lyon bronze after Brits are DQ’d

In a Facebook post Wednesday, American sprinter Kim Touya shared a letter from WMA Secretary Winston Thomas informing her (and her W35 teammates) that his compatriot women were disqualified from their Lyon bronze. “The British 4×100 relay team … was DQd because they ran someone who was not on their roster as one of the […]

December 10, 2015   Posted in: Uncategorized  3 Comments