masterstrack.com

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Discusdoc-Dr. Tom Fahey - tossed the disc 44+ meters in Sydney during prelims. This was good enough for a first position in prelims despite the fact that the good Doc has been injured all year.

Playing hurt and still having success - now that's a competitor!

Finals are coming,

Throw one far Tom!

SW

Putting it into context:

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/ ... 5787683901

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How do you feel about Olympic Champions from 1980 or 1984? Do they deserve to be called Champions even though there were some of the world's best missing from those Olympiads? Just curious. I certainly agree that 18m is not a plate throw that deserves a World Champion label attached to it, but that is certainly not the fault of the 18m-thrower. At the end of the day, he can say he was the best person that bothered to show up. Lack of attendance does not merit criticism upon the individual who actually attended. As far as funding to assure the best in the world will attend, is that realistic? National Championships and World Championships are the "expendable cash championships", but that is as close as we are going to get IMHO.

Athletics NSW - Organization License
WMG 2009 - 11/10/2009 to 18/10/2009
Sydney Olympic Park

Event 463 Men Discus Throw 35-39
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Name Year Team Finals Points
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Finals
1 Holzer, Justin M38 Australia 45.39m
2 Dokl, Dejan M37 Slovenia 38.41m
3 Hamilton, Mark M39 Australia 37.07m
4 Venter, Martin M39 South Africa 35.42m
5 Campodonico, Clayton M36 Australia 32.96m
6 Duke, Kevin M35 Australia 31.37m
7 Adams, John M36 New Zealand 22.88m

I found these results online.

Thad

Howdy Ironslinger.

Help me with your intent for this part of your post please. Do you believe that Luke is walking around Sydney with swagger? I've spent a fair bit of time in Australia and dealing with Australians and I very much doubt he is doing any chest thumping. In fact, I imagine he thinks its as silly as you do. The man showed up and competed. No one who was particularly good showed up so he won with a very modest performance. What would you suggest he have done? Not show up? Why not? Decline the win? Why? Quoting from Chariots of Fire "You can't win if you don't run". Maybe your "wink" was supposed to change the tone (which I interpreted to be condescending) and, if so, please clarify.

Cheers,

Jim

The man in the picture looks great...fit and strong. Check out those calves and that form! Not many at his age, in the world, doing what he's doing!

Yes, he does look great! I certainly hope Ironslinger doesn't expect masters athletes to look a certain way. Are being clean shaven and having short, modest hair required to enter meets now?

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All I can say is....start saving up for Sacramento! It's an easy flight from Denver, hotels are reasonable, and Southwest Airlines flies direct. There will be PLENTY of competition there, so by competing you will no doubt have the opportunity to throw against the best in the country.

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Fe Slinger - I don't disagree with you, but I do feel I didn't make my point clear, and that is who really cares? I mean, whose fault is it that 18 meters was all it took to win the 30-34 disc? Was that guy talking smack on you or why do you seem to take it so personally? Standards or qualifying are about the only way to eliminate the situation of sub-standard marks winning national or world titles.

My point about boycotted Olympics wasn't to receive a lecture, it was how can you assess blame to the individuals who won or to the individuals who could not compete? You can't, so the best you can do is call the ones who are able to go and end up winning the champs. The reason that people cannot attend is irrelevent. Financial, geographical, political, physical or any other circumstances are not the fault of those who are able and lucky enough to not have those barriers. Life isn't fair - some halfwit wins a world title by being the only person to show up for an event that luckily happens to be in his backyard. Big deal, but again, who cares? Regardless of the turnout at Kamloops, if I am able to squeeze on the 4x2 and get a medal, I am calling myself a World Championships medallist. Or, (very unlikely) if I run out of my shoes or the comp is subpar and I medal in an individual event, I am taking the same title as the Bill Collins' and Oscar Peyton's of the world. (Thank God I am not in their age-groups!)

I completely agree with you about the view of masters athletics as freakish or wierd and wild is annoying - to put it lightly. When the general population comes out of their barracades in the summer and saunters around the track as I try to run a sprint workout, I get all types of looks, questions, and comments. Somehow, I am the wierd one - not the overfeds and nearly-deads walking four abreast while talking on their cell phones, calling a 20 minute walk a good workout.

I think the best advice is whomever suggested to save up for Sac State and bust out there. I have been saving for 3 years and putting off a hip replacement for Kamloops in hopes of competing at the highest level possible for my God-given ability. If I am able to "steal" a medal in Canada I promise not to get too big-headed. Fair enough?

Milt
HEY you better show up for a big meet and quit dogging those who do when their performances aren't up to your standard. I think my point was very obvious about the man running. The woman doing hurdles was dq'd I believe...she should not have been in that event, obviously...I guess there is so much barking here about who should and shouldn't be allowed. Why does it bother you this much? Maybe you would be national champ if you went to nationals. If you throw decent and are happy with how you do, why does how everyone else does matter so much? We get the whole deal about having a great competition so why bother showing up if you are going to blow away the field...but if everyone has that attitude then you may never get a "decent" competition at a big meet or win a National championship that you may deserve.. Neni Lewis, in my age group, kills all of us in most of the throws...it's not even close. I think she still loves it and she still breaks records without the high standard of competition you seem to require. In no way do the performances of the other competitors reflect on what she is able to accomplish. We know a good performance. The cool thing is, she still shows up!!!
I doubt anyone would hold it against you if you show up at Nationals and win, in light competition or with other good throwers...it is all about YOUR performance. Worthy or not, it works both ways, you have to show up.
We will be waiting to meet you in Sacramento! COME ON!


Bowlegged...great post

That is REALLY funny, mainly because a quick Google of the person in question shows him to either be, or have the same name as, a politcal advisor in Sydney, Australia.