Olympic champion Thane Baker could be your starter
Wayne Bennett down in Texas writes about the Texas Masters Championships set for July 26 at Coppell High School, northwest of Dallas. “We think we run a really good meet,” says Wayne, an M70 sprint star. “Field events start at 9 a.m. and running events start at 6 p.m. Entry form is available under schedule at www.dallasmasters.com. Everyone is welcome. It is an open and masters meet, no youth division but they are welcome to run in open division. Our starter is Olympic gold and silver medalist Thane Baker, one of the best in the business. Coppell just completely rebuilt their facilities so the track should be fast and we have automatic timing.”
Britain’s Moscrop lowers own WR in M50 400 hurdles
Yowza! This record might last 50 years, or until Edwin Moses puts on spikes again. World champion Howard Moscrop of Britain has chopped his own M50 world record in the 400-meter hurdles to an ungodly 56.56 at the British Masters Championships at Alexander Stadium, Birmingham — running solo and alternating lead legs in the latter stages. (See results here.) Jon Tilt reports: “In less than ideal conditions, Howard made his intentions clear from the gun, powering away from the field. Hitting a strong headwind in the home straight (it measured up to -3 m/s in the 100s) he kept his form to finish in 56.56 seconds, clubbing over a second off his April record. Howard’s family were there to witness the feat.” And here is the race:
W70 steeplechase, W75 throw WRs fall at Brit nationals
By just a second, Britain’s Anne Martin lowered her own listed world record in the 2,000-meter steeplechase on Sunday, clocking a superb 10.49.22 at the British Masters Championships in Birmingham. Anne’s previous W70 best was 10:50.35, apparently at the same track. Complete results of the British masters nationals are posted here. Sprinter/photographer Tom Phillips notes: “All the more remarkable when you look at the wind readings on some events. The jumpers had it with them. We trackies had it in our faces throughout.”
Everad Samuels shatters M50 world record for 200m
Mike Travers reports this stunning performance: “Everad Samuels of Boston … has broken the M50 200M World record of 22.58 set by Dr. Stephen Peters (of Britain at the Puerto Rico world masters meet in 2003). Everad’s record time of 22.53 was set Saturday, July 5, at the USATF East Region Open and Club Track and Field Championships in Valatie, NY. (Results are here.) The paperwork is being processed by meet officials.” That also betters the listed American record of 22.79 by Houston’s Bill Collins in April 2002.
Canadian records galore at B.C. masters championships
Doug Smith in Canada reports 12 Canadian masters age-group records were set at the British Columbia masters championships recently in Surrey. Harold Morioka passed along the results to Doug, in Ontario, even though one of his own M55 sprint records was trumped (at another meet). And on an unrelated note here’s a corrected link to Chuck McMahon Memorial Masters meet June 30 in San Marcos, California. And just in case you didn’t hear, the USATF West Regional Masters Championships will be July 12-13, also at Cal State San Marcos. The West Region meet had previously been advertised for the following weekend.
Roald Bradstock calls it a career after beating 8 at Trials
At 46, Roald Bradstock is hanging up his multi-colored javelins and many delightful outfits. After beating eight kids in the javelin prelims at Eugene today (including American record holder Breaux Greer), he confirmed that this was his last track meet. He fell only 5 feet short of making Sunday’s finals. Also FYI: A photo gallery with 144 shots (and counting) of the Olympic Trials from a slightly different perspective is online here. I took these in and outside Hayward Field to give you a feel of the Trials experience. Check out the Duck photos — the University of Oregon mascot running 400 meters at the Wednesday all-comers meet.
Local paper retells story of M45 Tony Young, miler son
Jon Naito of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer has written this nice little story on masters mile star Tony Young and his family, especially budding high school mile prodigy Mack Young. I also have it on good authority that Tony, who runs in the masters 3000 exhibition at the Olympic Trials tonight, will soon be the subject of a story in the competing Seattle Times (along with M65 sprinter Steve Robbins). Be sure to check my Trials blog for live details of the masters 3K in Eugene, which starts at 7:05 Pacific time — the first event on the track at the Trials. And if you have a moment, send a thank-you note to reporter Naito and P-I sports editor Nick Rousso for covering masters track.
Roald Bradstock gets word: He’ll throw in Olympic Trials!
At 46, Roald is the oldest male entrant in Eugene.
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Roald Bradstock got the news a little after 10 a.m. today: USATF’s Status of Entries page for the Olympic Trials lists him as “qualified/declared” for Friday’s men’s javelin preliminaries. At age 46, Roald thus becomes the oldest man in the field — and perhaps the oldest male entrant in these Trials. He was giving a javelin clinic when he got the news (from moi). His wife, Clarissa, handed him the cell phone, and I nearly shouted: “You’re throwing in the Olympic Trials!” He had expected the final decision on the field to be made public the previous midnight, but the Status of Entries showed him (and 10 others) as “provisional/pending.” (See this screen shot.)
‘T.R.A.C.K. Live!’ contract: Spill the beans, pay $300,000
A member of the “T.R.A.C.K. Live!” reality show’s athlete contingent wrote fellow entrants: “Everyone – I don’t know what else to do . . . I responded to the email Julia sent out on 6/23 for contestants wanting to return on 7/7. She said there would be a confidentiality agreement to sign before they would make airfares. So far, I’ve received nothing. I’ve called and I’ve emailed . . . still nothing. Has anyone received the confidentiality agreement or tickets?” Well, a masters mole has provided the agreements to me as PDF files.
Two masters vaulters are going to the Beijing Olympics
Well, don’t look for M40 Jeff Hartwig or M35 Derek Miles at Spokane this summer. On August 8, the second day of USATF masters nationals, Jeff and Derek will be marching in the Opening Ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics! Derek and Jeff went 1-2 at the Eugene Olympic Trials as Jeff raised his M40 world record to 5.70 meters (18-81/4) and Derek won at 5.80 (19-0 1/4). Jeff returns to the Games for the first time since 1996. At the press interview tent, as Jeff was getting seated, Atlanta Olympian and world long jump record holder Mike Powell leaped onto the raised platform and gave Jeff a big hug. Earlier, Jeff was reminded that four years ago he said there was “not a chance” he would compete in the 2008 Trials. He spent 5 minutes explaining how things changed. I’ll detail that chat later. Time to decompress after a 9.68 day. Becca Gillespy’s audio interview with Jeff is right here. Her Derek Miles interview is here.
