Geb finally rates M35 WR in the marathon, but many still wait

Geb gets WMA record!

In its “20 May 2010” update, World Masters Athletics finally joins the reality-based world. Haile Gebrselassie, who holds the IAAF world record in the marathon, is listed as the M35 world record holder as well. (His 2:03:59 at the Berlin Marathon in September 2008 at age 35 was ignored for nearly two years.) But you still can’t consider WMA’s listed age-group records as faithful to the record. Not when the M35 WR in the 110 hurdles still cites Colin Jackson’s 13.11 from 2002. (The real WR is Allen Johnson’s 12.96 in 2006 — as confirmed by Britain’s Peter Matthews in his over-35 record list.) Other M35 flubs by WMA: It lists a 1500 WR as 3:33.91 by Kenya’s Mike Boit. Nope. Peter says it’s 3:32.45 by William Tanui in 1999.

But wait! There’s more!

WMA says the M35 mile record is 3:52.48 by John Walker in 1988. Nope. Peter says it’s 3:52.04 by Marcus O’Sullivan in 1997.

WMA says the M35 3000 record is 7:38.28 by Abdellah Behar in 1998. Nope. Peter says it’s 7:37.23 by John Kibowen in 2004.

WMA says the M35 5000 record is 13:07.40 by Dieter Baumann in 2002. Nope. Peter says it’s 13:01.32 by Kibowen in 2004.

Women’s world records aren’t immune either.

WMA says the W35 400 record is 50.56 by Aurelia Penton in 1978. Nope. Peter says 50.27 by Jearl Miles Clark in 2002.

WMA says the W35 3000 record is 8:27.83 by Maricica Puica in 1985. Nope. Peter says 8:23.23 by Edith Masai in 2002.

WMA says the W35 10,000 record is 31:06.63 by Helena Javornik in 2004. Nope. Peter says 30:30.26 by Masai in 2005.

WMA says the W35 100 hurdles record is 12.47 by Ludmila Enqvist in 1999. Nope. Peter says 12.40 by Gail Devers in 2002.

WMA says the W35 vault record is 4.55 (14-11) by Stacy Dragila in June 2009. Nope. Peter says Stacy jumped 4.70 (15-5) in 2008.

And don’t think this is merely a 35-39 anomaly.

WMA says the W40 100 record is 11.09 by Merlene Ottey in 2004. Nope. Peter says Merlene ran 10.99 in 2000, when she was 40.

WMA says the W40 400 record is 53.68 by Sara Montecinos in 1994. Nope. Peter says it’s 53.05 by María Figueirêdo in 2004.

WMA says the W40 10,000 record is 31:40.97 by Alla Zhilyayeva in 2009. Nope. Peter says it’s 31:31.18 by Masai in 2007.

WMA says the W40 marathon record is 2:26:51 by Priscilla Welch in 1987. Nope. Peter says it’s 2:25:43 by Lyudmila Petrova in 2008.

WMA says the W40 long jump record is 6.51 (21-4 1/2) by Tatyana Ter-Mesrobian in 2008. Nope. Peter says it’s 6.64 (21-9 1/2) by Tatyana.

WMA says the W40 hammer throw record is 57.08 (187-3) by Oneithea Lewis in 2005. Nope. Peter says it’s Neni’s 59.29 (194-6) in 2003.

WMA says the W40 javelin record is 61.23 (200-10) by Felicia Moldovan in 2008. Nope. Peter says it’s 61.96 (203-3) by Laverne Eve in 2005.

Peter Matthews is too much a gentleman to cry bloody murder over these WMA outrages. But I’m not.

Should World Masters Athletics be allowed to disrespect the true record-holders forever?

Nope. Nope. Nope.


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June 3, 2010

3 Responses

  1. Weia Reinboud - June 4, 2010

    Lagat 12:54.12 today in Oslo!

  2. Fidel - June 4, 2010

    I sent an email to WMA about the results discrepancy. No response yet.

  3. Andrew Hecker - June 6, 2010

    In this day of technology, information is available. Save a few Kenyan or Ethiopian athletes, we know birthdates for most elite athletes. We have detailed results of most elite meets. This is not rocket science to research or verify. It is labor. WMA, like USATF and its other affiliates, really are just the product of the work of individuals who volunteer their time to get the job done. If the people who have the job currently are too lazy to do the necessary research to make our posted world records valid, then we should replace them with someone who is not too lazy. I nominate Peter Matthews.

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