Masters milestones for Troy Douglas
Buried in the agate of the Mexico City meet where Ana Guevara set a world record in the rarely run 300-meter dash, some even rarer marks deserve our attention. Troy Douglas of the Netherlands took seventh in the 100 and fourth in the 200 at the high-altitude meet. His times? Stunning masters world records of 10.47 and 20.72. Douglas (pictured here) turned 40 on November 30, 2002.
Results from Saturday’s Banamex Grand Prix at the site of the 1968 Olympics:
1. N Macrozonaris (Canada) 10.03
2. T Montgomery (USA) 10.04
3. J Drummond (USA) 10.07
4. C Miller (USA) 10.07
5. E Uchenna (Nig) 10.19
6. D Campbell (GB) 10.24
7. T Douglas (Holland) 10.47
Results from the 200:
1. C Miller (USA) 20.13
2. E Uchenna (Nigeria) 20.40
3. D Campbell (GB) 20.50
4. T Douglas (Holland) 20.72
5. B William (USA) 20.87
6. J Baulch (GB) 20.95.
In the same stadium where Bob Beamon put the world record out of reach for decades, Douglas has done the same.
Douglas — the Dutch record holder — has been world-class for years, of course. He’s even been the subject of a minor doping scandal just before the 1999 Seville IAAF World Championships (a nandrolone bust that led to a two-year suspension).
Born in Bermuda, athletic trainer Douglas has given notice in recent years that his masters-age debut would be record breaking. According to the currently available Age-Graded Tables (the new ones haven’t been published yet), Douglas’ marks are equivalent to open (age 20-30) performances of 9.99 and 19.66.
In clocking his milestone times at 7,546 feet elevation (2,300 meters), Douglas destroyed the M40 records of Switzerland’s Stefan Burkart, 10.61 in July 2000, and American Bill Collins, 21.86 in August 1992.
IAAF record standards don’t exclude marks at high altitude — despite the advantage of running in ‘thinner’ air. But his mark is even less likely to gain the approval of world masters authorities, who rarely acknowledge marks set in open meets.
He’ll have further tries at the masters records, however, since he’s shooting for the IAAF World Championships in Paris this summer. He recently signed a sponsorship deal with Challenge Records, a jazz label.
“I want to reach the final with the relay team in the summer,” he told the UKA Athletics Web site. “After that I want to go with the team to the Olympics next year in Athens. I am bursting with ambition and motivation.”
He’s made the “B” standard for the 200 at Paris (20.75), but this means he has to win his national qualifying meet to compete at the WCs. If he doesn’t win at Dutch nationals, he’d have to meet the “A” standard of 20.59. He’s likely out of the 100, where the “A” standard is 10.21 and the “B” standard is 10.28. Olympic standards are similar.
Douglas, a member of the club Haag Atletiek, feels anything but worn out, he told UKA Athletics in February.
“A few days ago, a man came to sit next to me after training. ‘Are you Troy Douglas?” he asked me. ‘Wow man, I find it unbelievable what you do. You are still the fastest man in Holland and you are already 40. I get a kick out of you.’ I find it fantastic that I’m not only an example to the youth but also that people of my own age see me as such. That inspires me.”
2 Responses
I love that quote: Bursting with Ambition and motivation. Wow! And he is the Fastest Dutchman to boot. That’s a hoot! Fantastic inspiration.
I truly support your quest Troy.
John-Hans Melcher
Another Master ignoring age, and just competing with whomever, whenever!! Those times are numbing!! Age 41 (next year) and he might be on their Olympic team. Wow!
Leave a Reply