Two weekends ago, three Americans took part in the
British Masters Athletics Federation decathlon championships where their scores were put up against three Brits. The result was amazing, according to M60
Noel Ruebel, meet director of 2014 Winston-Salem nationals. On Facebook, Noel wrote: “Returned from Northern England this past Monday where I competed in the biannual USA vs. GB Masters Decathlon in Sheffield. Placed second behind
Brian Slaughter with my second-highest ever total of 6929 points. Brian threw down a 62-second 400 and a 5:36 for 1500 that I couldn’t overcome! Though short on numbers, Team USA, consisting of
Harry McDonald, Lee Faulkner and myself, gave the Brits all they could handle. Final score was GB 13,729 points to USA 13,728! Yes, it was THAT close!” When I wrote Noel for conformation of that 1-point margin, he replied: “Lee Faulkner was awesome as our anchor man, knowing he had to beat his guy by around 8-9 seconds to erase the 44-point deficit. He passed his rival with 300 to go and gapped him by what looked like enough, but alas, it came up hundredths of a second short!” The
results are here, but leave out Harry’s marks. Not sure why.
2 Responses
Thanks for the plug for my photos, Ken! As always, this was a great weekend of sport and fun, with the usual decathlon measure of suffering thrown in! I say this as a non-combatant, of course! Great also to have Rex Harvey there, as an official. I’d not seen him for several years.
I went to the US vs UK meet during the 2012 Olympic Games and it was wonderful competing with friends.
Unfortunately, our team leader, Rev. Tom Thorne passed away Saturday, September 9, 2017. Tom was a someone to admire and emulate, someone of noble character, rectitude, dignity, a sense of what is right, responsible and decorous. Tom was a Mensch; he will be missed.
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