Complete results of 12 WAVA world meets are online
The World Veterans Athletics Championships — aka the WAVA or WMA world meets — have been held outdoors 16 times since the Toronto inaugural in 1975. But until recently, complete results from only the past four were online (1999 Gateshead, 2001 Brisbane, 2003 Puerto Rico and 2005 San Sebastian). Today I’m delighted to announce that complete results from all but four are on the Web. The latest additions are 1981 Christchurch, 1983 Puerto Rico, 1987 Melbourne and the big enchilada — 1993 Miyazaki. (It was so big, I had to create men’s and women’s files.) Still MIA are 1985 Rome, 1989 Eugene, 1991 Turku and 1997 Durban. Only abridged results (from National Masters News) are online from that quartet (thanks to Jeff Brower’s efforts). The latest results are courtesy of M65 thrower Bernd Rehpenning of Germany.
Will masters face uniform challenges in Riccione?
Remember the “Soup Nazi” on “Seinfeld”? It appears that masters on the WMA stage may have to deal with a Uniform Nazi — an official who challenges your team uniform. So suggests a recent post on a blog attached to Annette’s Seite in Germany. A friend helped translate the blog entry for us, and he begins: “The blog hammers Brian Keaveney of Canada, Vice President Non Stadia. He ran around at the World Indoors (at Linz, Austria, in March 2006) and harassed athletes regarding their national uniforms. Seems like he focused exclusively on female athletes. (The blogger believes he was afraid of male athletes.)”
Masters women’s 4×4 at Millrose is a go, maven says
Mary Rosado sent this note today: “We just received go ahead from USATF (for a masters women’s 4×400 relay at the Millrose Games), so that is why I haven’t made an issue of it but I will now.” The issue is the Millrose Games Web site not listing the masters women’s relay on its event schedule. Mary, a New York lawyer, will not be denied, however. She also sends more details on how to enter the event.
January 2, 2007
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Masters women shut out of 100th Millrose Games?
The Millrose Games — where officials wear tuxedoes and fans toast indoor track — celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, and masters will again be in the mix. (But men only, perhaps.) Masters club leader Jim Relly has sent out this word: “Sorry for the late notice to inform you that there is a Masters race at the 100th Millrose Games at Madison Square Garden on February 2, 2007. The decision was finally made that there will be a 4x400m race. . . . Teams who want to participate must be from a USATF 2007 registered club. No all-star teams.”
January 1, 2007
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M70 sprinter wins nearly $8,000 in Scottish handicap race
Sunday was the last day of 2006 but the first day of Tony Bowman’s new fame and fortune. A sprinter nearing the 30-year mark in masters track, Tony won the equivalent of $7,900 by taking first in a 120-yard handicap sprint race at a horse racetrack in Musselburgh, Scotland. Athletics Weekly began its report thusly: “The famous New Year Sprint in Scotland over the Christmas period has thrown up some great stories during its 138-year history, but none as amazing as this year. The 110m handicap race at Musselburgh was won by a 71-year-old who suffered a heart attack 16 months ago and is such a character he reached the final 100 of the BBC’s Strictly Dance Fever contest last year.”
George Mathews agrees Neil Griffin got the WMA shaft
George Mathews really is just getting started. In addition to venting on USATF, he now feels liberated to comment on WMA issues as well, especially the drug-testing rituals that seem to penalize masters. George writes: “As you can see, I’m starting to work for the sport in a different way now. Blogging is the way to go. I hope to get the fortitude to start my own soon. When I first heard that Neil Griffin was tested positive I was saddened to hear another athlete had cheated the rest of the world. After hearing the facts so far thanks to Ken I have a different view on Neil’s situation.”
Ex-chair: Masters should seek divorce from USATF
George Mathews is free. After nearly six years as chairman of the USATF Masters Track & Field Committee, George suddenly resigned in the wake of a near-disaster at Charlotte nationals and internal fights over masters finances. “This period of time was pure hell (for me),” George wrote this week. But unchained from office, he now speaks frankly — and wrote in a blog comment last Wednesday: “This is fun being able to say how I feel.” He was just getting started. In reply to an email questionnaire, George argues for a divorce from USA Track & Field and having the masters program get hitched to the National Senior Games Association instead.
Henry Rono Watch: Plans 4-miler on New Year’s Day
According to the latest Henry Rono post on the gargantuan letsrun.com thread devoted to his masters mile record ambitions, Henry will enter the Egg Nog Jog in Albuquerque on Jan. 1, 2007 — the year he turns 55. Yesterday, Henry wrote: “I can feel in the knee joints coming up to quads and the jaw hanging low as someone who looks like is crying for food to eat or water to drink. ‘The hollow hungry face’ is the burning fat burner right? After that long snowy weather I came and sit in that hot sauna for 35 minutes. I can feel right in the joints for sure is coming no kidding.”
December 29, 2006
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Masters to resurrect the Southern California Striders
The Southern California Striders, which began in the mid-1950s as an elite track club featuring Olympians and world-record holders, will make a comeback in 2007 after years of quiescence as a masters-only organization. That was the big news coming out of the Striders’ annual awards banquet tonight in Anaheim Hills, California. Club President Brenda Matthews, a W55 sprint champion, announced that the Striders will re-form as a 5013c charitable group that will again boast open-class athletes. In previous incarnations, the Striders were called the Beverly Hills Striders and the Tobias Striders (after a clothing company). But the club, which won national AAU championships, ceased to exist on the open level by the 1990s, unable to compete with shoe-company sponsored athletes and clubs.
Masters exhibition events: 800 indoors, mile outdoors
The latest issue of National Masters News is out, and it reveals the masters exhibition events to be contested at the USA national (open) championships in 2007. Amid the Indy convention summary, Jerry Wojcik writes: “(Mark) Cleary, Masters Invitational Program, reported that a masters 800 for men and women will be held at the USA Open National Championships and a mile at the Open Outdoor Championships.” (I suppose the word “indoor” was dropped from the 800 meet reference.) The qualifying standards are stiff — 2:04 for men, 2:32 for women at the indoor meet and 4:35 men, 5:45 women outdoors. More details should be in Masters Invitational Program section at usatf.org in a week or so.
