What’s IAAF Masters Committee doing? No exhibitions at worlds

Finishers in the 2016 Portland IAAF masters exhibition 800.

Writing in the Irish Times, Olympic distance medalist Sonia O’Sullivan makes a pitch for masters exhibitions at major road and track events. She said: “Masters athletics is … a huge growth area that should be used to drive the championships, with exhibition races, or maybe a handicap race, depending on age, which could be a bit of fun, because the focus needs to be on enjoyment. Only last weekend Irish masters won 29 medals at the European Masters Championships in Madrid, including eight gold medals.” Too bad she didn’t have clout with organizers of 2017 IAAF outdoor worlds in London and 2018 IAAF indoor worlds in Birmingham, where masters were left out (after being in IAAF 2016 Portland indoors and 2015 IAAF Beijing outdoors ). IAAF has a masters committee. What is it doing on our behalf?