A week ago, the Canadians held their masters nationals at Kamloops. The star of the show was no doubt Olga Kotelko, a 90-year-old ironwoman. Doug Smith, the Ontario masters maven, reports that Olga set seven world age-group records in three days! It helps that WMA doesn’t list WRs for W90s in several events. So she’s the pioneer.  We’ve also learned that Wolfgang Knabe triple-jumped an M50 world record at German masters nationals July 18. He went 14.44 (47-4 1/2) with no wind to shatter the listed WR of 14.07 (46-2) by Finland’s Stig Bäcklund way back in 1990. Wolfgang also had jumps of 14.39 and 14.43 in the series. Results are here. Age-Graded, Wolfie’s 14.44 is worth 17.53 open (57-6 1/4). Interestingly, Wolfie submitted a mark of 14.51 (47-7 1/4) in the Lahti entrant list. 

 

Olga’s marks: long jump 1.65 (5-5), triple jump 3.77 (12-4 1/2), throws pentathlon 5878 points (beating 5544 by Ruth Frith of Australia in 2000), shot 4.87 (15-11 3/4) to set a Canadian record, javelin 11.74 (38-6 1/4) to beat the 10.97 by USA’s Juanita Brookover in 2005, discus 14.04 (46-0 3/4) to beat old WR of 12.10 by Ruth Frith in 2000, hammer 13.63 (44-8 3/4) to beat old WR of 13.13 by Ruth Frith in 2000, weight 6.58 (21-7 1/4) to beat Ruth’s WR of 6.19 in 2001 and 100 in 24.89 for a Canadian record. WR is 23.18.

Counting her eight world indoor records from earlier this year, Olga now boasts 15 WRs for the season. Has anyone else come near that — ever?

Doug Smith says 28 Canadian records were set at Kamloops, and he graciously produced a meet records compilation. Click here to see it.

Doug Smith took close-up (and other shots) at Canadian masters nationals.

Olga just makes the pit in her triple jump. (She’s conserving energy.)

Here’s an article that forecast Olga’s amazing weekend:

     By Tim Petruk – Kamloops This Week

Published: July 14, 2009 10:00 AM
Updated: July 14, 2009 12:32 PM

If any records are going to fall at the upcoming Canadian Masters Athletic Championships, taking place in Kamloops this weekend, expect Olga Kotelko to have something to do with it.

The 90-year-old — yes, 90-year-old — athlete will be one of hundreds taking part in the annual national championships, which begin Friday at the Tournament Capital Centre.

She already holds “a number of B.C. records, Canadian records and world records” — just don’t ask her for specifics.

“There’s so many,” she said on the phone from Richmond, where she lives and trains.

“Practically everything in my age category.”

Kotelko has been able to make a name for herself on the Masters athletics scene despite the late start she got in track and field.

“I started when I was 77,” she said.

“I wanted something to do and I thought I was a little too old to play slo-pitch.”

So track and field it was.

Competing in “everything” — shot-put, discus, javelin, hammer throw, long jump, high jump, triple jump and sprints — doesn’t just keep Kotelko in shape.

“It keeps me out of mischief,” said the grandmother of two.

“I’ve stayed out of mischief because I’ve been active, I’ve been travelling to competitions.”

And travel Kotelko has, competing in events in Australia, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Spain, Germany, England, Italy and Barbados — just to name a few.

“And, of course, all over the United States and Canada,” she said.

Though she wasn’t much for sports during her first 76 years on the planet, Kotelko said she always knew she had the competitive spirit in her.

“I’m the seventh of 11 children born on the farm in Saskatchewan,” she said.

“Being in that situation, I think it’s in the genes.”

Kotelko spent more than three decades — five years in Saskatchewan and nearly 30 years in Burnaby — as a schoolteacher and she said her educational skills are again coming in handy.

“I’m asked to talk to seniors’ groups and clubs and I tell them the benefits and I encourage them to join sports and keep it up, whatever it may be,” Kotelko said.

“It makes me very happy to see that I can give somebody the inspiration to do it.

“They look at me and say, ‘If Olga can do it, I can do it.’ ”

Kotelko said she never pictured herself as a world record-holding athlete, but she’s loving the ride.

“A lot of beautiful things have been happening all at once and it’s almost a little bit scary,” she said.

“But it’s exciting. Very exciting.”