Anselm LeBourne spills the beans on his track career in video Q&A
“We were so poor, we dropped the OR. Just po … but we had three square meals,” M55 WR-man Anselm LeBourne recalls about growing up in Trinidad and Tobago. In a 30-minute interview posted Friday, he talks about stretching, being a vegetarian and his first 5K race, which he easily won. “When they finished, they gave me a trophy,” he says. “I whispered: When do I bring it back?” because that’s how soccer awards were circulated. He dropped soccer. He came to USA on the Fourth of July 1977. He was zoned to attend Brooklyn’s South Shore High School, but wanted to attend the track school Boys and Girls HS. He lied about his address and went to Boys and Girls, getting down to 1:53 in the 880 and earning a scholarship to Seton Hall, where his best time was indoors: 1:51.1. He also ran a 4:10 mile. He talks a lot about his first world masters meet — Gateshead 1999 — where he roomed with “the Great Sid Howard.” Great tales. Meanwhile, nobody has answered my queries on why Anselm isn’t the WMA region’s nominee for IAAF Best Masters Athlete of the Year. Did Mexico bribe Sandy Pashkin? Stay tuned.
5 Responses
Ken,
I would suggest you re visit your question re: Mexico and Sandy Pashkin. One could argue that it is a slanderous statement. Taking bribes are serious accusation. As a professional writer you should know better….
Mike Travers
Ken,
Mike is 1000% correct. You are casting aspersions with absolutely no evidence. Do you know the case that was presented for Anselm? Are you aware that one of the records he set has never been submitted for ratification?
Be professional!
Jerry Bookin-Weiner
Hehehe. OK, I take back the question. Instead I should have asked: Did all the other regions bribe Sandy Pashkin to find someone other than Anselm to nominate?
My snarky jokes aren’t doing well these days, I guess.
Jerry Bookin – Weiner, firstly let me thank all of those individuals who may have worked on presenting my case for the region Male athlete of the year, I Really appreciate my name just being mentioned for such a prestigious award However, I normally don’t answer comments in here, but you are way off base with respect to me in your comments. 1. Which record that I set was not nominated for ratification? (I have a copy of all the paper work). 2. How many world records did the gentleman from Mexico break or establish? Why are you trying to justify why I was not nominated when you know or you should know that it had nothing to do with performance but with politics? I want you to explain to us that because one of my records according to you was not submitted for ratification justifies the award going to the Mexican gentleman? Jerry it would have been better if you had remain silent about the award than trying to justify the reason I Did not get it. Politics should have no role in an award as prestigious as this, it should be based on the performance on the track. Jerry, You can try to find all the excuses in the world, but you cannot take away the facts that I established 6 worlds records and 7 American records this past season, was named USATF athlete of the week, won two gold medals at the World Masters track and field championship (the only American to win the 800 and 1500 in any age group), and finally the best of them all, the only American athlete to be selected to run in the 50 and over 800 meters at the World Track and field Championship and becoming the oldest athlete to ever perform at the Championships. Jerry, I am going to stop there and I hope that’s enough for you my friend.
Where can a list of yearly winners for this award be found? At least the last ten years, for men/women.
Leave a Reply