Kalembo WRs in the 400s getting a second look by Sandy Pashkin
When I informed Douglas Kalembo that his M50 WR in the 400 was rejected by the USATF Records Committee (on the say-so of masters records chair Sandy Pashkin), he didn’t give up. Doug contacted Sandy. And today he wrote me: “I did talk to Sandy on phone and she was very helpful. She requested for me to send all the evidence I can find [proving age], which I did. I send her my primary school, high school, military records and the letter from Henry the guy who started everything, PLUS newspaper [clips] bearing my picture and my age from Zambia newspaper. All she [is awaiting] is the meet directors to sign on the application forms. They are two world records — one for age group 45 to 49 /49.77 and 50 to 55/49.85.” Doug also informs us that his nickname in his native Zambia was Trackmaster. Someone was prescient.
8 Responses
Mr. Kalembo’s times are incredible. I hope that he gets this age issue sorted out and then come race at the Nationals. I would like to see him run.
Absolutely a sub 50 at 50 is amazing. I’m 35 and would be in heaven if I could pull a sub 50 out of my legs. Go Gouglas Kalembo!!!
My goal is a bit more modest.
Sub 70 at 70 and then keeping it year by year.
Sub 71 at 71, …, sub 100 at 100.
This again?
I’d be interested in the primary school and high school especially if had verifiable dates. Newspaper clippings or similar document from way back in 1965-66 proving he was even alive at that time. Not holding my breath. Perhaps a dentist can extract and examine some of his teeth to help determine age.
Online source:
{Therefore, the volume changes of the pulp chamber in intact teeth are considered as a dental age predictor. Although the apposition of secondary dentine is not homogenously spread over all the walls of the pulp cavity and even differs in relation to the examined tooth type, bucco-lingual and mesio-distal pulp width as well as the pulp cavity height decreases with aging. These variables can be measured on the involved tooth after extracting and sectioning it or on its two-dimensional (2D) dental radiographs. More specifically, the last two variables can be applied for radiological age estimation on living individuals without tooth extraction.}
@Matt B.: I am glad you are staying on this one, as it is quite a mystery. And it’s a magnificent record we are talking about for M45. The Olympian (and former American indoor champion in the 500) Fred Sowerby set the American outdoor M45 mark for 400 way back in 1994 at 50.20, and it was 17 years until Khalid Mulazim came along to run 50.18 this summer at Berea.
Unfortunately, USATF never updated the records page even though we had the annual USATF meeting in St. Louis awhile back, and so Fred is still listed as the record holder and Khalid as pending. Regardless, this is great running by great runners, and thus for Douglas K. to have an even better time is quite remarkable.
@Terry P. Yes, I hope that Douglas will come to Bloomington (meet starts just 12 weeks from today), but I rather doubt he will. I trust that Khalid Mulazim and the other Midwestern stars will all show up in Bloomington; it won’t be long now.
My apologies. Khalid’s 50.18 at Berea is now the official world mark for M45; I should have noted that. For American M45, Khalid Mulazim is still listed as pending, with Fred Sowerby as the listed record holder.
Regardless, Fred Sowerby and Khalid Mulalizim are great runners; I have heard that Douglas Kalembo is as well. Now we have to look once again at Mr. Kalembo’s age.
Just watched the video on youtube of Mr. Kalembo running the the 49.77……it does not look like there is a curb….I think for a world record a curb is required….one fast dude regardless of age….
Just woke up. Wanted to make a point yesterday about the 49.77 for M45 and see that I didn’t even mention the 49.85 for M50, which is quite a bit superior to the record I discussed. Oh, well. Again, will be interesting to see how this plays out.
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