Bill Carterâs last major season was 2010, when he won the M85 pentathlon at Sacramento nationals. But his Dallas Masters TC friends took note of his passing Jan. 2 at age 94. Bill was nominated for the Masters Hall of Fame at least once. The former track coach out of Marlow, Oklahoma, won many national titles, competing from the late 1980s. (He set a then-WR in M80 pent at 2003 Eugene nationals.) His obituary noted: âBill began his 33-year Texas high school coaching career at Wichita Falls High School in 1948. He coached football and track at Holliday, Iowa Park, Amarillo, Fort Worth, Arlington and Hurst-Euless-Bedford Independent School Districts, retiring in May of 1981. He and Evelyn then moved to Marlow, Okla., and made it their home.â
With 4.7 million views on YouTube, this would-be adidas commercial by Eugen Merher has become a cult classic with runners. Eugen is a 26-year-old German film student who once studied at Oregon. The 99-second spot pulls at heartstrings, but itâs full of baloney. What nursing home would discourage an aged runner from donning his old flats? Unless Alzheimerâs is involved, whatâs the reason to lock someone in? Whatever. Many people like the spot, and are encouraging adidas to air it. What say you?
Last September, some Nigerians wanted to go to Australia â and not come back. At least nine guys or gals noticed Perth worlds and entered the meet to gain visas. It apparently didnât work, because WMA checked with Nigeriaâs masters affiliate.(See the story.) But NAM was embarrassed. We forgive you. Now we learn: âThe Nigerian Athletics Masters has fixed May for the first All Nigerian Athletics Masters Championships scheduled for Lagos among its other activities for 2017. ⊠The 10th African Masters Athletics Championships scheduled for Aug. 23 to Aug. 27 in Abidjan, Cote dâIviore, is among the activities highlighted by NAM for the year.â No visas required for Nigerian nationals. Great to see our African friends stepping up to the game. But do something with your website, guys.
Irene Oberaâs stated goal for the 2015 season, when she was 82, was being named WMA Female Masters Athlete of the Year. She didnât get it. (W55 Silke Schmidt did.) WMA made up for that oversight Tuesday. She and Aussie racewalker Andrew Jamieson are 2016âs Best Masters Athletes of the Year. (Andrew also won in 2007.) His major credits were 10K and 20K road world records, plus four Perth golds (two road, one 5K track and one 10K team gold.) Irene set three world records at Perth â heptathlon and twice in 80-meter hurdles. She collected 11 medals, including eight golds. So now my biggest fear is sheâll retire again, having achieved her fondest track goal. Andrew will probably keep on truckinâ. Our heartiest woohoos to both!
Irene, shown in Perth, is oldest Best Master ever at 83. Photo by Rob Jerome
Kathy Bergen, perennial WMA champ, could use help to defray travel costs. Photo by Rob Jerome
In the course of reporting Nick Symmondsâ impending retirement, The New York Times says the 800 specialist wants the IOC to share 50 percent of its $4 billion-plus in quadrennial revenue with the 14,400 winter and summer Olympic athletes who compete every four years. âThis 50/50 sharing approximates a standard business model in American professional sports. It would amount to about $140,000 per Olympian. Currently, athletes receive nothing from the I.O.C. for participating in the Olympics,â the Times says. Made me think of our WMA world
meets. They certainly arenât cash cows, but they could capitalize on financial inducements. If WMA gave $1,000, $500 and $250 to all medalists who reached a certain age-graded percentage â say 95% â that would be a huge PR boost and benefit to athletes. As it stands, WMA means: We Make Apathy. More people would care if prize money were involved â media included. It might even pencil out in terms of sponsors (whose $$$ could underwrite the awards program). Our top elites should get something back for their role-model status. Daegu â in the home of supercapitalism â is a good place to start.
W90 royal Queen Elizabethlikes masters track! Or at least the committees of civil servants who pick end-of-year honors after nominations by the government and public. Athletics Weekly notes some trackos that got QE2 love.Angela Copson, the WR lady who turns 70 in April, is one of the honorees âfor services to Running.â An AP report says: âKnights are addressed as âSirâ or âDame.â Recipients of the other honors have no title, but can put the letters after their names. The ranks for the Orders of the British Empire are Commander, Officer and Member, in descending order.â Angela is a âMedallist of the Order of the British Empire.â Good for her! (She was profiled by the BBC three years ago, with video.) Also news is WMA Prez Stan Perkins wishing us all happy new year from Down Under, which every year gets a head start. Back atcha, Stan.
Angela didnât start running until age 59, and sheâs set a slew of records.
Rex Harvey, our world-traveled national chair, used to be WMA vice president for stadia, meaning he was in charge of world meet quality control. When the makeup of the new Competitions Committee came to my attention, I asked Rex for his thoughts. He graciously shared a note praising the panel as highly qualified âand a working committee, not political appointees.â He went on: âI know 10 of the 11 very well and they all are proven hard-working volunteers each with general technical expertise as well as specialized knowledge in various areas. [Chairman Brian Keaveney] has wisely chosen a mix of veteran people and some younger members to carry on. Four of his committee are on the WMA Council, so they should be able to influence council approval for whatever needs to be done to improve the competition.â
Former M55 AR high jumper Peter Hlavin of Southern California attended Willie Banksâ track camp the past two days in Chula Vista. âThought I could use a high jump tune-up and Iâm always open to learning new things,â he reports. âWow! What a great time hanging out and being coached by Dick Fosbury. Â As everyone knows, Dick revolutionized the high jump by inventing the âFosbury Flopâ technique. He showcased his twisting, backward somersault style at the 1968 Olympics where he won gold and set both Olympic and American Records with a jump of 7-4.25 (2.24). Listening to the success stories of Willie and Dick, as well as Mac Wilkins (discus/shot put), Mike Powell (long jump) and Jacqueline Hansen (marathon) was truly inspiring.
Peter is second from left, next to Bondarenko, with Fosbury on other side.
OntarioâsBrian Keaveney is chair of the new WMA Competition Committee, which apparently replaces the old Stadia and Non-stadia committees. Heâs cherry-picking his staff, which includes three Americans with long experience in meet management, scheduling and officiating. The Yanks are Carroll DeWeese, Bill Murray and Sandy Pashkin. These folks played similar roles on the USATF Masters Games Committee â checking out bid sites and working with LOCs to make sure the meets are run properly. I assume the 12-member panel will be dispatched to Daegu, South Korea, and Malaga, Spain, for 2017 indoor and 2018 outdoor world meet inspections. Brian is looking forward to 2020 when Toronto hosts its second worlds.
Mary Norckauer did it all â professional ice skater and pro baseball player in World War II.
Will 2017 get here before we learn who WMA picks as 2016 Athletes of the Year, aka World Best Masters? Notes have been shot to WMA President Stan Perkins and webmaster Jeff Brower. Hope to hear from them soon. In the meantime, John Seto of mastersrankings.com has compiled a list of the athletes with the most No. 1 rankings in 2016, indoors and out. The top topster is 92-year-old Mary Norckauer of Louisiana, who was profiled here in 2015. Mary had eight No. 1 age-group rankings. She does sprints, throws and jumps.
Ken has followed track as an athlete, writer and web-master since the late 1960s, and saw most sessions of track and field at the 1984 Los Angeles and 1996 Atlanta Olympics. He also attended the 1988, 1992, 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012 Trials, the last three as a blogger and Patch correspondent. [More...]
