Janvrin’s deca named World Masters Performance of 2005
Distance brings perspective. In this case, distance involves time as well as miles. Months after the masters award season, Pete Mulholland of the British magazine Running Fitness writes in April’s masters section: “Thoughts of the ‘panel’ turned towards what was the most impressive masters’ performance on a worldwide basis (in 2005), and it was difficult to find an athlete with credentials superior to Kip Janvrin of the United States, whose performance in winning the the M40 decathlon (at San Sebastian worlds) was truly outstanding.”
Mulholland, who knows more about masters athletics worldwide than anyone outside the WMA geriacracy, then quoted from my blog post on Janvrin and my quickie interview with Kip. (Thanks for the plug, Pete!)
The Janvrin honor was appended to a series of profiles in which Mulholland and a panel of experts identified “the magnificent (UK) masters of 2005.”
Pete wrote: “With ages ranging from 35 to 75 years old, some may say that age-grading should be a deciding factor, but the panel made the decision to cast this option aside as other factors, such as status of competition, conditions and the overcoming of handicaps were to be considered.”
Bravo to that! (I argue that masters who overcome “issues” are the ones most worthy of attention and celebration.)
Pete concluded with an allusion to today’s movietown lovefest: “Every year there is argument over the decisions made by the Hollywood dignitaries who select the Oscar winners, and no doubt the Running Fitness panel decisions will cause a similar debate.”
Running Fitness named Dr. Steve Peters as No. 1 after he swept the M50 100, 200 and 400 at San Sebastian. He did this despite having sufered a viral infection early in the year and a lack of training that he admits led to “six months of despondency.”
Pete writes, “Now employed at the English Institute of Sport as a sports psychologist, Peters is disappointed he is unable to defend his British and world masters indoor titles as he travels to Melbourne to assist with the (British) Commonwealth Games team.”
Also notable in the Running Fitness rankings was No. 5 — Kelly Holmes, for her 1500 at age 35 in the USA-Britain-Russia triangular meet. Holmes clocked 4:06.52 six weeks after turning 35, qualifying her for the British masters rankings despite not competing in masters meets.
“Blighted by injuries, Holmes has now retired from competition after what must have been the shortest masters career on record,” Pete writes. “But hey, it’s not often that an Olympic champion graces the rankings.”
Which makes him and his panel more enlightened than USATF when it comes to masters honors, where the operating credo is: “If you don’t play in our games, you don’t win our awards.”
