Recollections are circulating about the mid-June Nemean Games, held at the site of the original Greek event. One is from M65 sprinter Larry Lettieri and another from a gent about the same age named Tony Diamantidis. Larry writes: “The site was one of the four original Olympic venues. Dug up over the past 20 or so years by archeologist Stephen Miller. Friends of ours are involved in the organization that supports his work, which is how we got involved. It’s held every 4 years as they do the Olympics. There were 1,500 runners in the 90M in the stadium. We ran in age groups. Somehow my back (ruptured disc in December) held up. The start is crazy. The ‘blocks’ are grooves cut in stone and there’s a starting rope that drops down in front of you when the ‘Go’ command (in Greek) is given.” The event was shot by “60 Minutes Sports” and may air soon. Tony posted his story on Facebook. A video shows him winning the 12-lane dirt race, barefoot and in toga. (At least they didn’t have to run nekkid.) So mark your calendars for 2020, your next chance for Nemean glory.
Joshua Pondo is a 6-time Kenyan national champion, specializing in the discus.
Four months ago, we noted the coming debut of Kenya at WMA worlds. Now I note 18 Kenyans entered at Perth. Only one — former national champ Joshua Pondo — is a field-eventer (in shot and discus). The rest will run cross-country, 10Ks, marathons or half-marathons. Lots of famous family (or clan) names, but I’m not sure these are former world-class: Benard K. Cheruiyot, Joshua Kipchumba, Jared Omwoyo Nyakoe, Yego Paul Kibet, Joseph Some Koskei, Truphosa Jemutai, John Njai, James Seurei Kiberenge, John Birgen, Philip Bitok Kimento, Francis Komu, John Sang, Paul Sang, Stephen Kihara, Joel Kipkemoi Kosegei, Stephen Kamande and Jared Omwoyo Nyakoe. Recognize any of these?
It’s not exactly like meeting President Obama, but an 84-year Indian shot putter won a national award Saturday from his country’s prez. The Tribune of India reported Monday: “Gurjiwan Singh Sidhu was awarded the National Award for senior citizens for his contribution in the field of sports by the President of India in New Delhi. … In his latest achievement, Sidhu won a gold medal in the shot put event of the National Masters Athletics Championship in Mysore. He threw the iron ball 10.13 metres in the 80+ category. He also won the silver medal in the discus throw event (20.27m) in the same age-group.” Of course, India’s prime minister holds the top job. But being feted by the president isn’t too shabby.
It’s about 830 miles from his home in southern Oregon to Snow Canyon High School in southern Utah. But Dan Bulkley knows the route well. Starting Monday, the Masters Hall of Famer will take part again in the Huntsman World Senior Games in St. George, celebrating its 30th year. At 99, Dan’s the oldest man. (The oldest female trackos are 93-year-old Eva Sorensen of Springfield, Virginia, and 91-year-old Dottie Gray of Kirkwood, Missouri.) Entrants at the three-day meet are listed here. But like the best masters events (Hartshorne Mile, etc.) the competition isn’t the only draw. “The Games is a total experience,” says CEO Kyle Case. “Each sport hosts an athlete social where the participants have an opportunity to have a great meal and create new friendships and renew old ones off the field of competition.” Dan will stay with the sprint tribe (50 and 100) and throws tribe (discus and javelin). But Al Box of Discovery Bay, California, is going for the Blue Plate Special — nine events. He’s an M90. Best of luck to all.
Last weekend, Holland’s Weia Reinboud added to her legend by throwing another W65 world record in the javelin. (See results here.) She noted that her 32.02 (105-0 1/2) was with the 500-gram stick, instead of the old 400-gram. “I am not very content with my technique in this throw,” she told me. Now she joins the late, great Olga Kotelko as having set high jump and jav WRs in the same age group. In 2015, when she turned 65, Weia had a shoulder injury, but still threw five national records. “The new world record W65 was 31.14 by my Czech friend Jarmila Klimešová. She has beaten me several times, but I was approaching her level. In Lyon I had gold. And my goal for this year became to give the world record a try. The third meet I succeeded: 31.79. And five meets later, I improved it a bit to 32.02. More to come? Yes!” Good for you, WR. Keep throwing your initials. Check out the slo-mo:
IAAF Prez Sebastian Coe turned 60 on Thursday, and Athletics Weekly tried to get him to say he’ll consider masters track. He didn’t take the bait. AW writes: “Having watched such incredible competition unfold in Rio, was there a small part of Coe that was itching to pull on the spikes again and be out there competing?” Seb says: “I do love running. That’s the one thing I will always do.” Then AW says: “Asked if he’s ever tempted back to the track, however, and the answer is unequivocal. ‘No. That’s an easy answer,’ he says. ‘I’ve often watched people, as they get older, running a good distance but actually if you’re not careful it can make you look like running on broken bottles after a few years. So actually maintaining stride length – and maintaining a few drills – is a good way of maintaining what I’ve got left in my knees and hip flexors!’” Would love to see him be a geezer track role model, though. Even if it hurts — and looks funny.
Darren is good to go in the deca 100, 400 and maybe hurdles. The skill events will test him.
British M45 sprinter Darren Scott’s local paper reports that he’s looking to become a decathlete — and become world champ by the time he’s 50 in three years. The story says: “Scott is back on the gold trail after winning both the 100 metres and 200 metres races in the British Masters Athletics Federation Championships in Birmingham. The veteran fitness instructor at The Heath Leisure Suite in Runcorn is world, European and UK champion over 200 metres and has been undefeated for 11 years in his main event. Now the super sprinter has his sights set on further athletics glory as a decathlon competitor. The 47-year-old said: ‘The decathlon is a challenge I’ve always fancied competing in but I’ve never really trained for field events and have always concentrated on my running with sprint races being my number one priority. I’ve never pole vaulted in my life but went for a training session to see if I could achieve the opening height of two metres.’”
Here’s a Tom Phillips triptych of Darren during his BMAF nationals decathlon.
After setting a startling M50 world record in the pentathlon, Germany’s Thomas Stewens became my latest Q&A target. He responded immediately. But I forgot about his email. My apologies. He’s had rougher treatment. In 2004, after severing the rectus femoris muscle of his takeoff leg quadriceps, he rejected a diagnosis that his leg was shot forever. “For motivational purposes, I also decided to sign up for the World Indoor Championships in Stuttgart in 2004.” The result? A WR in the M35 pentathlon. Now he’s hoping to resume his decathlon career in 2017. His all-time PR is 7669. He’ll have plenty of fans. He’s the father of five kids, “who all support their Dad a lot in his sports and came to many of my events!” Here’s an email interview conducted Sept. 13:
The good news: USATF’s suggestion of masters using GoFundMe to raise money for Perth travel is spreading. The bad news: Karnell Vickers is only halfway to his $5,000 goal via GoFundMe. His local paper in Georgia says Vickers considers running more than a hobby, and “if he gets his chance to fulfill his dream of representing his country, he intends to win.” “I’ve been stepping it up,” he said of his crowd-funding efforts. “I’ve been posting on Facebook and messaging friends. I know how it goes. People see my posts, but it slides by. I want people to know I need their help.” USATF is helping Sabra Harvey and Don McGee with$1,500 travel grants, but that’s it for the track contingent.
Sometimes tracko Ed Whitlock holds the marathon WR in three age groups: M70 (2:54:48), M75 (3:04:54) and M80 (3:15:54). On Oct. 16, if the wind cooperates, he hopes to add M85 — and be the oldest to go sub-4 hours. The listed WR is 4:34:55 by Aussie Robert Horman in 2004. A Canadian running magazine spilled the beans Friday on Ed’s marathon goal at theScotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon. Ed says: “My only real goal for the rest of this year is this race upcoming. I finally made up my mind to do the full instead of the half in the last couple of days. Yesterday, I finally managed to get up to a three-hour training run which is the first three-hour training run I’ve had in three years because of various issues I’ve had. … I’m a broken down middle distance runner and I’ve made myself into a marathon runner.”
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...]
September 29, 2016
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