What does Pashkin have against USA 35-39 hurdlers?
Some equal time now for guy hurdlers. I often cite Gail Devers’ marks in the 100-meter hurdles as being wrongly excluded from the W35 record books. A recent IAAF story reminds me I should speak up for M35 Allen Johnson as well. In mid-September, at age 35, Allen ran the 110s in 12.96 — easily (again) beating the listed M35 American record of 13.26 by Greg Foster. But the record remains in Foster’s hands three months later despite the site being “last updated 12/10/2006.”
Allen’s 12.96 also crushed the listed M35 world record — the 13.11 by Britain’s Colin Jackson in 2002.
The person responsible for updating American and world masters record lists?
Yeah, my favorite punching bag — Sandy Pashkin of Eugene, Oregon.
Sandy can redeem herself (a little) if she gets on the stick about the sticks.
And just FYI: Some indoor records are likely to fall soon, too.
In early 2007, Allen will run some indoor races in the UK.
The listed M35 American record for the 60 hurdles is 7.56 by Foster. The listed M35 world record is 7.40 by Colin Jackson. The last time AJ ran the 60 highs was February 2005. He clocked 7.49 in Lievin, France.
Allen said the other day: “I may be fast approaching 36 (his bday is March 1), but there’s no way I’m giving up yet. I think my win at the World Cup in September proved there’s plenty left in me, and I want to go to those world championships in Osaka in contention for medals.”
Let’s hope he’ll be in contention for masters records consideration as well.
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I’m curious…did anyone attend the Rules Committee session(s) at the USATF Annual Meeting in Indianapolis earlier this month? Perhaps that would shed some light on the criteria for how/when records are updated.
I’m assuming that all records have to be “ratified”. Meaning, the results from any drug tests have to be assessed and certified by USADA (and WADA if the competition was on foreign soil). Also, I believe that track certifications have to be obtained as well (i.e. was the record set on an IAAF standard track with fully automatic timing with a certified wind gauge).
Since I am not a member of the Rules Committee, I cannot say that my above assessment is altogether accurate. My point is – I believe that there’s a lot more than meets the eye when it comes to posting a record…
Or on that subject of hurdlers! If you going to mention 35-39 What ever happened to 50-59 legitimatly run recorded at National Championship 300I.H.?? Just look up 300 I.H. 1988 Nationals. Now that they are on line and see the results. Due to the fact that the distance was changed back to 400 I.H the following year does not diminish the efforts that were put into achieveing the outcome of the race that day. In essence what needs to be done is to have all the records that need to be listed be done once and for all without anymore controversy pertaining to the subject! Just do it! And where I come from we always give credit where credit is due !! Rich Rizzo Arthur Ave Bronx,N.Y
As an outspoken critic of Sandy’s in the past, I’m going to about-face and come to her defense here – not over the issue of these neglected hurdles records, but simply on the issue of her dedication to her job as record-keeper.
This past summer, I was lucky enough to set 3 age-group American records on the track. In all three cases, there ended up being some problem with the paperwork (a necessary item left out, the paperwork mailed in by meet directors to the wrong city, signatures unavailable). In all three cases, Sandy personally contacted me with information on where my record applications stood. And in two of the cases she was instrumental in garnering the missing data in order to secure ratification of the records at this year’s USATF convention.
Without Sandy’s diligence and help, I wouldn’t have all 3 records. As an athlete who trained a year to go after those records, I can’t help but be grateful to Sandy Pashkin.
In contrast, I also set an age-group road record for 5K. There was a problem with that application too. The problem was that even though I filled in every field in the application with the requested data, signatures, etc., the road records czar informed me that there was additional necessary criteria which simply hadn’t been put in the application. He suggested I try for the record again at the Carlsbad 5000 this coming April (since there was no way to go back in time and find two official hand timers to back up my chip time from my pseudo-record race).
My point: a gentle reminder about jumping from the frying pan into the fire.
Sandy is the records person for American and World Masters Records. Until she gets the paperwork, she cannot post a new record. Has the paperwork for Gail Devers and Allen Johnson’s records been submitted to Sandy? They ran these races at elite meets(or meets not open to most of us I believe), non-masters records are not sent to Sandy – someone else is reponsible for that record keeping. The question could be – what happens to records set by elite athletes running at elite meets (not open to the general mass of athletes) and these person happen to have had 35th birthdays? Do they automatically get sent to Sandy? Ken do you know how this works? I do not think it is Sandy’s job to check the results of meets and go after the paperwork, it is the job of the athlete to see that it is submitted. At National Masters Meets, some regional meets, and WMA meets – (for world records) the meet officials take care of that, otherwise it is up to the record setter to see that it is done. It is not up to Sandy to call you up and tell you what to do. And I second the comments by Pete Magill, Sandy called me to get a copy of a passport for one of my club members who was on our American 4 x400 relay record setting team. She did not have to do that, she could have just dumped it in the circular file.
In the case of elite athletes who set a record, usually the meet promotor or, in some cases, the athletes agent or sponsor, handles it. So, this may simply be a case where 1) the athletes themselves aren’t aware that they broke the record and 2) no one submitted an application. I’ll contact both Gail Devers and Allen Johnson and find out if they would like to submit an application, if they have not done it already.
Mary et al:
I once heard that all USATF national masters championships results that included potential records were automatically reviewed for ratification.
And at Gateshead World WAVA 1999, I sat in on Brian Oxley’s Records Committee meeting, where members decided that in the future results from major elite meets (Olympics, IAAF Worlds and Commonwealth Games) would automatically be given records review.
AJ’s record came at the IAAF World Cup. The whole world was watching. His age was featured in every story. How does one miss this mark? Boggles the imagination. He shouldn’t have to submit paperwork on his own behalf.
But many questions are still unanswered, and the person who can answer these questions — Sandy Pashkin — refuses my invitation for an interview.
Maybe someone out there will have better luck.
Where was Gail Devers’ record set? The meets Ken mentioned are but a few of the meets in which elite athletes compete. And “automatically reviewing” means that when and If – the meet directors submit the paperwork to Sandy – they will be reviewed. Remember the controversy about how the records from the last indoor nationals was submitted to Sandy!
Anyway – it is a question that I raise – because I have no clue how it works for non-masters championship meets. And I am wondering if this is part of the problem concerning AJ and Gail Devers records. There are other problems indeed – but there is no one record tsar for all track records set at all age group – and as we all know – the system that has existed, exists today, and probably any system that exists in the future will not be perfect.
Gail has set MANY potential W35 American records, but my favorite for argument’s sake is her 7.74 in the 60 hurdles in 2003 in Boston, which I discussed here:
http://masterstrack.com/blog/000636.html
The 7.74 was set in some obscure meet called the USATF National Open Indoor Championships.
See her bio (which mentioned the record) at:
http://www.usatf.org/athletes/bios/Devers_Gail.asp
Stop the insanity! Give her the FREAKIN’ W35 record!
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