“There was something of a minor sensation today,” writes Pete Mulholland, our man in Linz. “Bill Collins ran a race and didn’t break a world record! This Sunday was almost a day of rest as far as Collins was concerned as he just cruised two laps of the track in his heat with a steady 57.35 to set himself up nicely for tomorrow’s M55 400m final.”

Pete continues his report from the second World Masters Indoor Athletics Championships:
However, it appears that Collins has set a precedent as there were two other athletes who matched his ‘double bubble’ with 60m hurdlers Vincent Clarico, FRA, and Dexter McCloud, USA, both setting world records in their heats and then proving even quicker in their respective finals.
First up in the finals was M45 McCloud who in his heat clipped the previous mark of 8.36 held by fellow American Colin Williams by a mere 1/100th of a second but come the final he finished with arms aloft in a much improved 8.22.
“I have been training for this race today from September the first,” admitted McCloud, “which was my 45th birthday.
“At San Sebastian, on the evening of August 31st, I finished second in the M40 110m hurdles in 14.62 which bettered than the M45 world record of 14.70,” he said. “Just think about it, I missed a world record by a less than six hours.”
Meanwhile Clarico was setting a similar pattern to McCloud with his time of 7.96 shaving 1/100th from the previous record held by Karl Smith, USA, before putting the mark into orbit with a stunning 7.85 in the final.
There was a historical barrier breaking moment in the shot circle as W50 Tine Schenkels, NED, planted the 3kg iron ball out to 14.06 (46-1 1/2) to improve on the listed world record of 13.79 (45-3).
So as not to cause embarrassment by naming names, a certain M80 gentleman was a ‘shoo in’ to collect a medal in the 10k road walk as he was to be one of the only two entries listed — (since) standards do not have to me met to qualify for a medal at these championships.
On seeing the walker still at the arena around the time that the race was due to start some miles away, a colleague asked, “Shouldn’t you be doing the walk?”
“It’s OK, the race doesn’t start until 2:15 and it’s only 12:30,” the gentleman replied, before looking at his watch — which had stopped at 12:30!
You would be hard pushed to find a finer M55 distance runner than Britain’s Mike Hager and if there is such an animal please lead us to him.
Already an easy winner in the cross-country two days ago, Hager surpassed himself in the half-marathon where the sun came out for the first time this week resulting in a road runner friendly temperature.
Overall race winner was Paul Freary — a mere ‘youngster’ at the age of 37 and one of Britain’s leading road runners -– who crossed the line in 68:20, while Hager placed fourth overall in 70:29.
As if to confirm Hager’s M55 superiority, his closest rival in that age group was San Sebastian cross-country winner Pat O’Shea who arrived home over 6 minutes behind Hager.
Half-marathon running and triple jumping do not spring to mind in these days of specialisation as events to double up with but these were the basis of a W70 win double effected by Britain’s Anne Martin who lives in the historic market town of Wymondham, Norfolk: not exactly a hotbed of athletics.
For good measure, Martin had earlier in the week earned silver in the cross-county and she no doubt has some interesting theories on what constitutes as a good run-up for the triple.
The oldest person at these championships is Germany’s Anton Polgar who at the age of 93 has the bearing and presence of many a person only half his age.
Almost skipping to the top of the podium, the Stuttgart-based athlete collected yet another gold medal, his fourth this week with the weight being held tomorrow being his final throw of the championships.
At San Sebastian, Polgar not only took part in all five throws but also during one day in the sun he contested the throws pentathlon. Most men of his age would encounter problems lifting the implements, let alone throwing them!
A competitor since his schooldays, Polgar admitted, “I use to run, but between the ages of 40 and 50 my knees began to give me trouble so I just stuck to throwing.”
He also confesses to “having no special diet and I just lead a normal life,” a life that includes “training twice a week at the most.”
Perhaps your correspondent should not admit to the fact than when dropping his pen, Polgar stooped down like a shot to pick it up!
For those who like to keep abreast of happenings in the WMA “corridors of power,” Britain’s Winston Thomas, the technical manager of European Veterans Athletics Association (EVAA), has been appointed as the temporary secretary of the WMA to replace the late Torsten Carlius.
Thomas’ term of office with the EVAA comes to a halt at the end of their championships in Poland this summer and he will assume his role with the WMA at least until the General Council meets at the 2007 championships in Riccione, Italy, in September 2007 when the position will then be subject to election by the members.