Chairman George takes the fifth (at worlds)
Let’s see Craig Masback top this! USATF Masters T&F Chairman George Mathews of Carlsbad, California, took fifth in the M55 hammer throw (the 6-kilo variety) yesterday at the WMA World Masters Athletic Championships in Carolina (pronounced car-O-LEEN-a), Puerto Rico. And the event’s winner was no slouch, either. It was Russian-born Canadian Boris Zaichuk, who 25 years ago this month became the first man to surpass 80 meters (80.14 — 262-11) in the hammer. Boris won his third world hammer gold.
But back to George. In the only event he’s entered at worlds, he threw 45.97 meters (150-9 1/2).
Results:
1 Zaitchouk, Boris M55 Canada 61.58m 80.00m 92.24%
2 Busterud, Arilo M55 Norway 59.29m 77.02m 88.81%
3 Roodt, Jan M56 Rep. South Africa 51.94m 69.23m 79.81%
4 Taylor, Todd M56 United States 50.29m 67.03m 77.27%
5 Mathews, George M59 United States 45.97m 65.91m 75.98%
6 Bilokov, Valeriy M56 Ukraine 44.46m 59.26m 68.32%
7 Myrvang, Jostein M56 Norway 41.49m 55.30m 63.75%
8 Krueger, Juergen M55 Germany 41.40m 53.78m 62.01%
9 Hansen, Knud M58 Denmark 38.73m 54.22m 62.52%
10 Loya, Horacio M57 Mexico 38.08m 52.03m 59.99%
11 Hoyer, Knud M57 Denmark 37.87m 51.74m 59.66%
12 Sager, Bob M55 United States 37.84m 49.16m 56.68%
13 Bookin-Weiner, Jerry M57 United States 36.99m 50.54m 58.27%
14 Ortiz, Miguel M59 Puerto Rico 18.50m 26.52m 30.58%
Notice that George is among the two oldest gentlemen in the event. In fact, if the meet were held just a month later, George would be competing in M60 — with the 5-kilo ball and chain. So he did pretty well by himself.
Also notice what Boris’ winning distance age-grades to — 80 meters! What goes around comes around.
