It’s Kingdom vs. Ashford for ‘greatest masters hurdler’
Roger Kingdom last September issued a challenge: Come to my April 21 meet, and let’s see who’s the best masters hurdler. Despite six world-class M40 or M35 hurdlers expressing interest at first in the event — only one will show up: M40 world champion David Ashford. Roger writes: “Right now only David and I are entered. I’m very disappointed! From the interest generated earlier, I thought we would have gotten a better showing. We will have to rethink our plans for the meet next year.” However, we’ve received word that W40 sensation Alisa Harvey will run the 800 at Roger’s meet in Pennsylvania. Another shot at getting a qualifying time for the USATF open nationals, which will pick a team for IAAF worlds in Osaka.
Roger says one of his students will videotape his match race with David. (Not sure whether they’ll run 39-inch masters hurdles or 42-inchers (or both). But it’ll be cool to see this clip posted online.
Too bad Dexter, Don, Karl, Stacy and perhaps the best challenger of all — Willie Gault — can’t make it. (And the title Best Masters Hurdler title is already settled: Allen Johnson ran 12.96 at age 35 last year.) But 40-plus is up for grabs Saturday.
In any case, here’s an article on this weekend’s track meet:
Kingdom will race at Cal U. carnival
Observer-Reporter
California University will host the 2007 Track and Field Carnival, a three-day event beginning Thursday at Adamson Stadium. This year’s event features a unique twist — two of the top hurdlers in American history will race.
Roger Kingdom, the Vulcans’ track and field coach and a two-time Olympic champion, will run the 110-meter hurdles against David Ashford Saturday at 1:30 p.m.
Kingdom, a former Pitt standout in football and track, formerly held the world record in the 110 hurdles (12.92 in 1989). The second-year coach at Cal also won gold medals at the 1984 and 1988 Olympics.
Ashford currently holds the world record for the Master’s 110 hurdles and he won World Master’s championships in 2003 and 2005.
“I know the race will be a good one for David and I,” Kingdom said. “(Ashford) is the current Master’s world record holder in the 110 hurdles. They didn’t give it to him. He earned it. It’s my mission to do my best to take the record from him. That is the beauty of our great sport. The clock and the camera don’t lie.”
Other events include a junior high championship meet Thursday at 2 p.m.; a high school championship meet Friday at 2 p.m. and a collegiate/open championship meet Saturday at 10 a.m.
Alisa Harvey, winner of the 1,500 run at the 1991 Pan-American Games, and Malcolm East, a former top five finisher at the Boston Marathon are also expected to compete.
3 Responses
This should be a great race.Two World Class Champions head to head it doesn’t get any better than that.All the best to you David your a great team mate and friend.
David: From the guy you met in the Maria Cristina Hotel in San Sebastian in 2005, Juan Bustamante, good luck and strong running. I still have pictures from the World Championships then.
I wish I could be there. I think this race will go down as one of the great clashes in Masters history.
I had to undergo surgery due to an injury during indoor season. My focus now is to get ready for Italy.
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