masterstrack.com

Older, slower, lower: Ken Stone's hobby blog for showcasing and watchdogging adult age-group track and field

IAAF Masters Commission meets in Monaco; show us the money

America’s Sandy Pashkin and other poobahs of World Masters Athletics went to Monaco a couple weeks ago as part of the annual meeting of the IAAF Masters Commission (which replaced the IAAF Masters Committee last year). IAAF reports: “The Commission’s discussion focused on four main themes: the merger of IAAF member federations and WMA affiliates in a country or territory; the World Masters Athletics Championships, World Masters Games and regional masters’ events; recognition within the IAAF family; and the rethinking of the World Masters’ Athletics Championships timetable with special reference to the daily competition schedule and length of programme.” Whatever all that means. Since any substantive change in WMA has to be approved at the biennial General Assembly, I’m not too worried about what these folks are plotting behind our backs. But as long as the masters enchiladas are enjoying an expenses-paid vacation to Monaco, they should say what’s in it for us, the athletes. I’ll write them and report back.

February 28, 2015  3 Comments

IAAF seeking Lyon volunteers on behalf of World Masters Athletics

So now we know what the IAAF is good for — acting as a volunteers-wanted bulletin board. This week the Big Enchilada of world track posted an item headlined: VOLUNTEERS WANTED FOR 2015 WORLD MASTERS ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS IN LYON, FRANCE. (Hey! Tone it down, fellas! Yelling is so 1990s.) We learn: “The local organising committee is looking for about 500 volunteers who will be essential to make the championships a success. With more than 8,000 athletes coming from 100 countries, it will be one of the biggest sport events in France in 2015.” (See the formal flier.)

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February 27, 2015  No Comments

Amy Acuff app aims to take you higher with iPhone or iPad help

Amy Acuff doesn’t turn 40 until July, but she’s still the Bernard Lagat of American high jumping. On Sunday, she’ll compete in the USATF open indoor nationals. If she medals, she’ll be asked how she did it. She’ll likely mention her free sports video analysis app called iAnalyze. Amy shared info on the app, which proves that jumpers are some of the smartest athletes around. “You can even measure how fast you are running in meters per second over a given distance,” Amy told me recently. “Sometimes I put tape down on the track when I’m videoing. I coded all of this.” Last week, IAAF posted a great story on Amy and her app. Nice work, champ. Now go kick kiddie butt in Boston!

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February 26, 2015  4 Comments

World records in 1500 could fall in M45 and M55 at open nationals

Masters exhibition events at USATF open nationals are generally ho-hum affairs. Yes, races are exciting for a few moments. But they have no legs in historical terms. That could change this year. Middle-distance stars John Trautmann and Anselm LeBourne will be gunning for M45 and M55 records at Boston nationals Sunday, both in the 1500. Anselm claimed the M55 WR last month, going 4:19.80, and hopes to lower that. John should easily blast through the 4-minute barrier in M45. He set the mile WR of 4:12.33 a couple weeks ago, also in Boston. The listed M45 indoor best at 1500 is Tony Young’s 3:57.91 from 2009. The outdoor best is 3:52.43 by Spain’s Jesus Borrego. The masters women will run 300 meters. Since WMA doesn’t contest this event, no records are kept. (Here’s Status of Entries page.)

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February 25, 2015  7 Comments

Slovenian sensation adds M65 high jump indoor world record

One way of measuring a mark is how it rates on the “absolute records” scale. In terms of the high jump, that means nobody older has leaped higher. So now we have another entry: Slovenia’s Dusan Prezelj cleared 1.68 meters (5-6) over the weekend at the Balkan Veterans Indoor Championships in Istanbul. Not bad for a 66-year-old flopper. Dusan’s indoor mark sets an M65 world age-group record and also exceeds American Phil Fehlen’s listed M65 outdoor WR of 1.66 (5-5 1/4). (But Dusan has a better outdoor mark: an unratified 1.67.) At the Balkans meet, Dusan opened at 1.45 (4-9) and cleared his first four heights on his first try. He made 1.65 and 1.68 on second attempts before missing three times at 1.71 (5-7 1/4). The race continues for the oldest 6-foot jumper. Current title-holder is Thomas Zacharias at age 59. Here’s Dusan at 62:

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February 24, 2015  5 Comments

Mike Powell plans professional comeback, not masters track debut

Mike Powell tells me his trip to New Zealand is twofold — get a masters record and make some money. In a Times of San Diego story, I share details of a 50-minute chat I had with Mr. 29-4 1/2 (aka Mr. 8.95WR). Among other things, he says: “I can’t jump for free. There’s value in my jumping. I’m trying to earn a living here. … My name is Mike Powell. There’s value in that.” He told me he could be jumping at age 75. But for now he’ll compete sparingly to preserve his economic value. He’s getting an appearance fee from organizers of the New Zealand national championships. He also thinks he can do 23 feet right now, despite not being in the best shape. (That would shatter the listed M50 record of 22-5 1/4.) He’ll even take off with his right leg (not the left, which he used in beating Carl Lewis at 1991 Tokyo worlds.) In New Zealand, he’ll also make a bunch of appearances as an IAAF ambassador for the Nestle Kids program. He’s down to 180 pounds, he says.

February 23, 2015  9 Comments

Brits blast M45 world record in 4×200 relay at Birmingham meet

Led by indoor world record-holder Darren Scott, a British M45 quartet lowered the world record in the 4-by-200 relay Sunday in Birmingham. They clocked 1:33.97 to nip the listed WR of 1:34.24 set by the French in 2008, according to early reports. Darren anchored in 22.4 after Will MacGee led off in 23.5. Giuseppe Minetti followed in 25.3 and Michael Gardiner in 22.8. Darren then ran a European record 22.58 for the deuce, just missing the listed WR of 22.57 by American Bill Collins. Darren writes: “I will be doing a 100/200m in Lyon. First stop Euro indoors in Poland and just doing a 200.”

February 22, 2015  3 Comments

Irene Obera betters W80 high jump AR at Cal all-comers meet

Irene Obera’s W80 debut last season was awesome, with six (listed) world records in sprints and hurdles. Now the Hall of Famer is adding the high jump. At an all-comers meet Saturday at Cal’s famed Edwards Stadium (site of my ACL tear of 1984 and other historic events), Irene cleared 1.05 meters (3-5 1/4). See results here. That betters the listed American outdoor record of 1.02 (3-4) by Flo Meiler last summer in Winston-Salem. (The listed WR is 1.10 or 3-7 1/4 by Britain’s Rosemary Chrimes.) At Cal, Irene took 23rd out of 23 in a mixed competition. The winner went 1.95 (6-4 3/4). That’s barely a blip in age-graded terms. Irene’s mark is unlikely to be ratified, though, since I don’t see a USATF sanction for this event. But it’s a hopeful sign for another amazing season. Stay focused, Irene!

February 21, 2015  7 Comments

Mike Powell seeking age-group long jump record (for third time)

Mike Powell is nothing if not persistent. In 2006, 2007 and 2009, the WR-holder in the long jump promised to set an age-group world record in his event. First M40, then M45. Neither panned out. Now comes word (via news releases on PR Rocket and PR Newswire) that Mike is traveling Down Under for a shot at the M50 age-group record of 6.84 (22-5 1/4) by Finland’s Tapani Taavitsainen in 1994. “Powell will compete on March 7th 2015 at Athletics New Zealand Track & Field Championships and attempt to break the World Masters record,” says one release. “Breaking the record would mean he will be the ONLY athlete in ANY event EVER to hold the current and Masters record simultaneously.” Well, not really. The listed M35 triple jump WR is held by a gent named Jonathan Edwards and the listed M35 and M40 javelin records belong to a Mr. Jan Zelezny. But enough of quibbles. I’ve sent a note to the PR firm and Mike seeking comment on how he fell short of earlier WR forecasts and why he isn’t competing in masters meets. We’d love to see ya, Mike! There’s a meet in Lyon this summer!

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February 20, 2015  12 Comments

M45 recordman John Trautmann: ‘Having more fun now than ever’

Setting a world record may not be John Trautmann’s most memorable recent moment. “I actually got married this past August in Bermuda to my wonderful wife, Grace,” he writes. “No kids yet.” I wrote John to learn more about the newly minted M45 mile king. He graciously responded — adding to what we learned from Alison Wade in her wonderful Runner’s World profile. I asked John if he had pets, and he revealed: “I did have a cat that we actually had to have the vet put down the night before my Boston race.” He went to Georgetown University and studied economics and finance. “I have worked as a credit trader on Wall Street since 1998. The firm I was working at shut down its credit desk this past July, which has allowed me the time to really put 100% into my training.” And he knows fellow mile star Anselm LeBourne (another Wall Street vet). “I first met Anselm when he was working with my coach [Frank “Gags” Gagliano] and running for the NJ*NY track club. Actually hearing about some of the things he was doing inspired me to run at the masters level.”

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February 19, 2015  3 Comments

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• About Ken Stone

  

  Ken Stone

  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...]
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