Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

World’s fastest masters crowned at Riccione; two WRs

Tyson Gay runs 9.85 into a 0.5 mps wind at Osaka? Big whoop. Let’s see how he does when he’s 90 in 2072. Betcha he won’t be running 17.53 — the time Frederico Fischer of Brazil clocked today in winning the 100-meter dash at Riccione worlds (his second world age-group record of this meet). Fast […]

September 7, 2007   Posted in: Uncategorized  2 Comments

New York paper gives W35 jumper a great send-off

Ruthlyn Greenfield-Webster of Yonkers is stoked about competing in her first world masters championships. And if that isn’t enough motivation, her hometown paper has given her quest a great push. Check out this article. My favorite quote: “This is what she does,” said Christopher Webster, her husband of 11 years. “I’ve come to realize that […]

September 7, 2007   Posted in: Uncategorized  5 Comments

Riccione results site doesn’t reflect all qualifiers

This just in: Don’t take the Riccione results site as gospel when it comes to who advances to semis or finals. A middle-distance teammate of the Athena Track Club ladies at worlds writes: “The results that are online don’t show the full picture. I had an email from Caren Ware saying that she had qualified […]

September 7, 2007   Posted in: Uncategorized  Comments Closed

M90 and M95 shot put world records fall at Riccione

America lost at least three world records today in Riccione. Frederico Fischer of Brazil, born in 1917, won the M90 shot at Riccione worlds — his 9.64 (about 31-7) mark on the first throw beating American Don Pellman’s listed age-group world record of 9.33 from 2005. In the M95 group, Friedrich Mahlo of Germany, also […]

September 6, 2007   Posted in: Uncategorized  Comments Closed

The plagues visit Italy: gales, strike, Pavarotti death

Italy must be reeling. First huge winds strike the coast (including Riccione), then their beloved opera tenor dies. And now I hear that air traffic controllers are on strike! Great timing for folks flying in for the 17th World Masters Athletics Championships. One athlete, stuck in London, just wrote me: “I was scheduled to leave […]

September 6, 2007   Posted in: Uncategorized  2 Comments

Visa problems keeping nine Indians from Riccione

So the knock on a USA-hosted world masters meet is that folks from some countries would encounter visa problems, right? Well, look out. Italy has its own demons. This story tells how nine Indian masters athletes may miss worlds because of visa issues. The story says: “Madhavan Nair, secretary of State Masters Association, said everything […]

September 6, 2007   Posted in: Uncategorized  One Comment

Italian site listed 79 masters athletes entered at Osaka

Man, those Italians. While I was cherry-picking masters at Osaka, this Italian site was listing all the over-35 athletes entered at IAAF worlds. One thing I noticed: some possible world age-group records that WMA has overlooked. How many did they find? I count 37 men and 42 women — a total of 79 geezers at […]

September 5, 2007   Posted in: Uncategorized  Comments Closed

Americans fare well as Germans dominate the multis

Americans captured four world titles in the decathlon or heptathlon today in Riccione, holding their own against the 900-strong German juggernaut. Team USA gold medalists were M50 Jim Russ, many-time world champ M65 Emil Pawlik, W60 Phil Raschker (who fell short of her June world record by about 120 points) and W70 world record holder […]

September 5, 2007   Posted in: Uncategorized  Comments Closed

Riccione video shares delights of WMA Open Ceremonies

You gotta see this! A file-sharing site called blip.tv has posted a well-edited video of athletes and speeches (all in Italian), marching band and music at Riccione worlds. And fireworks, circus peformers and dance troupes! Athletes are having a blast — singing and dancing. Click right here to access this 8 1/2-minute video. As well, […]

September 5, 2007   Posted in: Uncategorized  2 Comments

Results posted as Riccione deals with major storm

The Puerto Rico 2003 world meet featured a tropical storm. But nobody expected Riccione 2007 to suffer high winds. Yet that’s apparently what delayed events (including the decathlon and heptathlon Day 1) yesterday at worlds. Some cross country races were postponed as well. In any case, results are now percolating online (and in a nice […]

September 5, 2007   Posted in: Uncategorized  Comments Closed