Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

Alisa Harvey courageously dissents in USATF vs. Youth EC case

Last May, USATF HQ suspended Chairman Lionel Leach of the USATF Youth Executive Committee and his entire panel. It didn’t involve us, so I didn’t report on the firestorm that ensued. But now that a National Athletics Board of Review panel has reinstated 12 members of the YEC (everyone but Lionel), it’s worth noting that […]

March 8, 2017   Posted in: Uncategorized  2 Comments

The secret of Khalid Mulazim’s 52.02 American record 400 for M50

Six years after setting a then-WR in the M45 400-meter dash at 2011 Berea nationals, Khalid Mulazim of Cleveland ran a spectacular indoor 51.21 in January — faster than any known M50 400 — better than Fred Sowerby’s fabled 51.39 in 1999. Last weekend, he clocked a 52.02 in the masters exhibition at USATF Indoor […]

March 7, 2017   Posted in: Uncategorized  6 Comments

Sally Gibbs, Loris Reed, Liz Wilson runs wild at Kiwi nationals

Loris Reed is 69, Liz Wilson is 54 and Sally Gibbs is 53. Among them, they competed in at least 15 events at the New Zealand masters outdoor nationals over the weekend. (See results here.) Most of their races were in the 90-plus age-graded persentage. Great stuff (detailed below). Great hurdle marks spotted include M65 […]

March 6, 2017   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments

Italian’s M40 triple jump WR is almost beyond Beamonesque: 56-2

Two masters-age athletes competed in open championships Sunday — both taking second to men eight years younger. In Albuquerque, M50 Khalid Mulazim was beating Southwest Sprinters TC teammate Gabriel Fuzat at the 200, but lost to Gabriel in the 400 exhibition at the USA Indoor Nationals, 51.58 to 52.02. But Khalid’s mark beat Mike Sullivan’s […]

March 5, 2017   Posted in: Uncategorized  7 Comments

Aussie’s analysis of Sacto no-show rates is wakeup call to WMA

Viddy Jermacans is an M65 Aussie multi-eventer who’s competed in all WMA outdoor worlds since 2007 Riccione as well as several indoor worlds since 2006 Linz. He’s also handy at math. Recently he sent me a detailed event-by-event analysis of 2011 Sacramento worlds — how many entered, how many started, how many scratched. It’s eye-opening. […]

March 4, 2017   Posted in: Uncategorized  11 Comments

Kathy Martin goes sub-6 in mile at age 65, another indoor WR!

With a last lap of 40.2, Kathy Martin rewrote the mile record books again at the Armory in New York City. Results from Thursday Night at the Races show Kathy clocked 5:51.74 — lowering her recent ABQ nationals WR of 6:01.46. The listed W65 world record is 6:05.85 by Britain’s Ros Tabor. So now Kathy […]

March 3, 2017   Posted in: Uncategorized  8 Comments

Kiwi masters nationals, pound for pound, 70 times bigger than U.S.

New Zealand media are reporting the start of their 3-day masters outdoor nationals Friday. But don’t snicker when story says: “More than 220 competitors will line up at the New Zealand Masters Athletics Track and Field Championships which is being staged in Nelson for the first time this weekend. The championships will feature athletes from […]

March 2, 2017   Posted in: Uncategorized  4 Comments

India’s USATF is taking control of masters track from rival groups

An otherwise dull story out of India suggests that the country’s version of USATF is seizing control of masters track from several rival organizing bodies. Over the years, I’ve written about the masters dysfunction in that country of 1.3 billion. At least two groups claimed to be WMA affiliates — MAFI and VAFI. MAFI had […]

March 1, 2017   Posted in: Uncategorized  One Comment

French sprinter awaits Daegu — and replies from WMA on ideas

Francois Bontemps isn’t related to the 18th-century French general by the same name, I learn. But out 21st century sprinter is a warrior for our sport. I asked him to share details on his career, and he graciously replied. An engineer between jobs, he lives in a small city near Toulouse. “I’m 53 and I […]

February 28, 2017   Posted in: Uncategorized  2 Comments

Famed Bob Boal Masters Meet dies at 46; once great in Southeast

In 1969, M55 miler Bob Boal traveled from North Carolina to San Diego, where he would meet his son returning from Vietnam. He took advantage of the trip to compete in the second U.S. masters nationals. It delighted him. “I came home sort of like a missionary,” he said, and soon launched his own masters […]

February 27, 2017   Posted in: Uncategorized  13 Comments