Back to the future: German poobahs decree masters starts at 40
Once upon a time, before 2004, masters track began for men at 40 and women at 35. Now masters is 35-and-up, period. But German track enchiladas apparently want to turn back the clock. According to posts on the Koopsā site, Eurovets president Dieter Massin is fighting a decision to spike the 30-34 and 35-39 age groups in German masters athletics. (And the Koops, Annette and Robert, have started a petition drive.) I couldnāt make complete sense of the post, since I know little more than āDankeā and āWunderbar,ā so I recruited some help. A friend translated.
My German-born friend writes:
The āVerbandsratā is the governing body within the German Track & Field Association and consists of representatives of the many regions within Germany. These regions do not just consist of German states but also of regions within states. Looks like this decision was forced upon the masters community by some of the stronger regional association, meaning associations with a large group of representatives. The decision was not supported by the president of the German Track & Field Association (DLV).
The decision to start Masters Track & Field with the M/F 40 caused a wonderful fight within the German track & field community. Naturally, the decision runs contrary to the IAAF and WMA and EVAA bylaws that clearly states that masters start with the M/F 35 age group. The decision to start with the M/F 30 is something the DLV decided years ago to make a smoother transition from the open to masters competition. Annetteās Seite, Lampis and others started a write-in protest that already was strongly supported by Dieter Massin. Now, he puts in his weight as president of EVAA.
No wonder. The decision is stupid. It would cause a tremendous gap between the career end of a typical athlete and the start of masters competition. It would drive even more athletes away from track and field and into other sports or on the couch at home. Stupidity on a massive scale, thatās how they call it.
7 Responses
Why should a country use other categories than the international federations do? The Germans also have that silly birthyear system which gives statisticians headaches. Any more countries doing it that way?
France uses birthyear also. I’m guessing it’s standard in Europe.
The USA uses birthyear in triathlons.
Another example of people with too much time on their hands. Why aren’t these people fighting about something important like the minimum number of sheets in a toilet paper roll or something?
National Senior Games now uses the birth year as well. As for the effort to cut the 30-39 out of German Track and Field – idiotic.
Gary is right – those trying to do that need to find some else to fret about.
It is not standard in Europe. Netherlands, Belgium and Finland are WMA-style, Germany birthyear. The rest I do not know, nice to do some research.
Great Britain and Ireland also go by age on competition date – not year of birth.
I will be forever grateful that I was allowed to start my track career at age 31 as a submaster. I would never have switched to track and field from other sports if I had been required to wait to age 40. I hope the 30-34 and 35-39 brackets are preserved in the USA for many years.
There are a few elite athletes who may stay active in open competition during their 30s. However, most people need a chance to stay fit by competing in age group competition after age 30. Let us also stay away from qualifying times and marks in order to participate in masters track and field.
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