A dozen years ago, in a dramatic clash of Olympians, Jim Barrineau beat Dwight Stones for the M40 world high jump championship. Yesterday’s M50 event at Riccione might have been even more exciting than the Buffalo showdown. In 1995, Jim won with a jump of 2.11 (6-11). Yesterday, he cleared 1.81 (5-11 1/4) to beat Ukraine’s Oleg Fedorko. If I’m reading the results correctly, Jim and Oleg both opened at 1.63 (5-4 1/4) and cleared their first three heights on the first try. Then at 1.81, they both missed three times. Time for a jumpoff. The bar stayed at 1.81. Jim cleared, and Oleg failed, handing the gold to the Virginian.

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Ten years ago, when she was 50, Phil Raschker won an incredible 10 gold medals at the World Masters Athletics Championships in Durban, South Africa. But a decade has slowed her down. She may end up with only eight or nine world titles this year. At age 60, she’s won seven golds at Riccione worlds — with relays and long jump still to come. In 1997, she was pretty much ignored by USATF. This year it’s different. USATF today named Hall of Famer Phil its Athlete of the Week. (She’s the fourth masters-age athlete so honored this year — after Gail Devers, Jim Sorensen and Nadine O’Connor.) USATF writer Vicki Oddi listed all the American gold medalists so far. Great work in recognizing our 30 world champions. The meet ends Saturday.

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John Schumacher of the Sacramento Bee wrote a wonderful account of the General Assembly vote at Riccione in the 2011 worlds contest. John, a respected track writer, made only one booboo — referring to the “WMA Council” as the deciders. No matter. The best nugget was this: “The voting . . . in Riccione provided some suspense, with each vote read aloud and put in a pile for either Sacramento or Porto Alegre. At one point, (John) McCasey said Porto Alegre held a slight lead. ‘I was absolutely just sick to my stomach at 35-33; My God, we’re going to lose to this bid,’ McCasey said. ‘They (then) rattled off Sacramento 30 straight times.’ ”

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This is news? On Monday, USATF informed us officially that it has a stretching research project. But didn’t you hear about that last July 1? Yup, cuz I posted it. So I don’t feel so bad about exposing my own shameful delay. For the past four or five weeks, I’ve been aware that USATF has been inviting mastersfolk to download and fill out a “Volunteer & Athlete Skills Survey.” Janet E. Smith of Oklahoma, executive vice chair of USATF Masters T&F, writes: “The purpose of the survey is to discover and evaluate unknown talent and expertise within Masters T&F, in an effort to increase diversity and participation.” In other words, USATF Masters needs more slave labor. (Which I fully support, since I’m indentured to at least two USATF committees.) I reported on this skills survey last February, when Janet detailed her plans for it. Check it out. And please forgive my tardy reporting.

Jerry Bookin-Weiner, USATF Masters throwing events coordinator, reports that the General Assembly at Riccione had to vacate its rented auditorium by 6 p.m. — and so wasn’t able to discuss any of the dozens of rules-change proposals on the agenda. How sad. Folks (like the Aussies) fly thousands of miles and can’t even get a hearing because of a scheduling snafu. Jerry writes: “I understand that because they had to be out of the room where it was held by 6 p.m. local time, none (that’s right, none) of the by-law (read rules) changes were even discussed. I’m told all of them — hurdles proposals, changing the name of the weight pentathlon, new implements for 70+ women — were tabled until the Assembly in Finland in 2009.”

If you can put up with the annoying “Technologic“ sound track, here’s a series of quick cuts from Monday’s events at Riccione, including Phil Raschker’s 200 finish in the W60 race and the close 200 contest between Canada’s Carol LaFayette-Boyd and Californian Nadine O’Connor. W80 sprinter Pat Peterson and some jumpers, spearchuckers and weight throwers also are shown.

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By a vote of 69-39, delegates at the Riccione General Assembly of World Masters Athletics today awarded Sacramento the 19th World Masters Athletics Championships. WMA President Cesare Beccalli of Italy had been promoting a rival bid from Porto Alegre, but the Brazilian city was evidently hurt by its plans for a January meet. In Sacramento, the biennial meet will take place July 7-17 (give or take a day or two) in 2011 — making it the first U.S.-hosted world masters meet since 1995 Buffalo. Bob Burns of the Sacramento Sports Commission phoned me with the news about 10 minutes after the noon vote at the Istituto Scientifico A. Volta in the coastal town of Riccione, Italy. Bob called the 2-hour session of presentations, speeches and questions “grueling.”

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USATF official Marv Sezak sent me a link to this video slide show from last month’s Orono nationals. (Click the blue “Watch” button.) Marv’s photos aren’t quite ready for National Geographic, but he did focus a lot on his fellow officials (who rarely get star billing). The slide show, with jazz sound track, also is notable for its transitions — the funkiest collection I’ve ever seen. He sent me the link while I was on vacation, and I’ve only just now viewed the show. Nice work, Marv. Sorry about the delay!

Payton Jordan, lissen up. Frederico Fischer of Brazil, born in 1917, ran a 38.57 deuce today in Riccione — becoming the first M90 to crash the 40-second barrier. And he did it into a 1.5 mps wind. The listed WR is 40.00 by Italy’s Vittorio Colo in 2002. So Fast Freddie now has two WRs for the meet. And in the M95 final, Friedrich Mahlo of Germany, born in 1912, took down the 57.58 WR by Hawiian-Austrian Erwin Jaskulski in 1999 by scorching a 48.69 — another milestone as the first sub-50.

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At Riccione, Saturday was a day of rest. But today (Sunday) at least three world records fell, and some athletes executed difficult doubles. In the W50 300 hurdles, Jan Horder of Britain ran 46.19 to beat the listed WR of 47.01 by Aussie Jan Hynes in 1994. In the M85 300 hurdles, Romain Henri Maynard of France (born in 1922) clocked 1:27.09 to nip the listed WR of 1:27.13 by Italy’s Ugo Sansonetti in 2005. But here’s the cool part: Romain apparently ran solo! The other entrants were no-shows. And in the 800, Manuel Gonzalez Munoz, born in 1912, may get credit for an M95 world record of 9:43.12 since WMA doesn’t list an M95 record for that distance. But USATF lists an M95 800 record of 6:02.94 by Herb Kirk in 1991. Go figure.

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