Riccione’s news site provides unintentional yucks, facts
The Riccione meet site includes a news page where Italian is translated into a language that resembles English. Compelling stuff. For example on Day 2: “First titles were assigned at the Athletics World Masters in Riccione, Misano and S. Giovanni in Marignano, with all the ‘paparazzi’ chasing René Felton the Andrew Howe mother, who has completed the heptathlon 800 meters, and caught a train back to Rieti.” (Andrew is the Los Angeles-born Italian long jump champion who lost the world title at Osaka on the last jump.) For more on Andrew and Mom, read this account.
We also learn that famous fashionista designer Ottavio Missoni competed — but committed a fashion crime (in his wife’s eye) by wearing jeans instead of running shorts:
Wearing the formal t shirt, the white blu one of the World Masters , and jogging shoes but in place of shorts he had his own blujeans with his label. This is how we met on the Misano track Ottavio Missoni unwilling to listen to his wife Rosita who wanted him wearing the formal athletics dress. “ After so many years of competition in masters — explained the famous stylist — she wanted to come with me.”
Other tidbits:
In the M50 5000 racewalk, Riccione Mayor Daniele Imola was 21st in 34:44.70. He said: “With only eight days of training, I could not arrive last.” (Actually, he was last. But he didn’t get DQ’d as six were in that age group.)
The M95 shot included Germany’s Friedrich Malho, who took gold. But he didn’t take the honor of being the oldest entrant. The site says, “The funny thing is at the last minute an older competitor appeared — the former champion Alfred Proksch, Austrian aged 99! (born Dec. 11, 1908) who had (won) the shot put at the San Sebastian (world meet). From then on, he has become the “most master” of the nearly 9000 listed army at Riccione, Misano and S.Giovanni Marignano.”
(Uhm, that DOB would make him 98 today, since he won’t turn 99 until Dec. 11, 2007. But who’s counting?)
Lastly, the coverage of the 100-meter finals included this note about Bill Collins and his M55 victory aftermath: “It is more amusing now than then when (he was an open-age sprinter, said) the M55 winner — because when we finish we go to drink a beer, all together. We are real friends. Well built strong, but that is not the case of slightly fat (Marty Krulee) that despite his belly, hits the ground with an impressive frequency, winning the M50 in 11.57. In my carear -says the USA rep -my record was 10.57, and on this track I have already run in a 1983 meeting with (Italian world record holder Pietro) Mennea and Calvin Smith.”
Saturday was a rest day, but action resumes today (Sunday).
