Thanks to all-world athlete Rita Hanscom and all-star photograher Robert Jerome, I double-dip today for Budapest news. Rob sent me a great shot of Rita over the pentathlon high jump bar on her way to silver in W55. She’s only a couple months shy of 60, too. See my post at Times of San Diego. In Olga news, W95 Canadian superstar Kotelko won the high jump at worlds at 0.78 meters (2-6 3/4). That gives her the age-group WR and makes her the oldest female high leaper in history. (She’s also the record-holder in W85 and W90.) In the W45 pole vault, Great Britain’s Irie Hill upped her own listed indoor WR by 10 centimeters. Results show her as clearing a massive 3.55 meters (11-7 3/4). Rita took second in the vault at 2.40 (7-10 1/2). Any other great marks I’m missing?
Rita Hanscom clears 1.33 (4-4 1/4) in W55 pent. Photo by Robert Jerome.
American W35 Rachel Guest jumps in pentathlon. Photo by Robert Jerome
Bully for Budapest. LOC is using tried-and-true system for posting results. See results here for Day 1, which includes the men’s and women’s pentathlon. First WR at worlds may be M35 Oscar Gonzalez of Spain in the pentathlon, according to a Facebook posting by Andres Martinez. (Results site is lagging, though.) Monday was opening ceremonies, and WMA President Stan Perkins posted on Facebook(rather than the WMA website): “Fantastic atmosphere at the official opening ceremony of the 6th World Masters Championships Indoors… The official opening was performed by Cesar Moreno Bravo from Mexico, who is the Chairman of the IAAF Masters Commission and the IAAF representative to the World Masters Athletics Council. The parade of athletes was colourful and again a happy occasion. Now the competition begins for the 3,900 athletes attending. Good competition and good health to one and all.” Feel free to post your news on my latest Budapest report!
Oscar Gonzalez stands atop podium at worlds with M35 pentathlon WR. Photo by Kiko Rodriguez
Robert “Bob” Hunt, a world-class hurdler in his 50s and 60s inducted into the USATF Masters Hall of Fame in 2004, died Saturday at an Anaheim hospital in Southern California, his son said. He was 93. David Hunt told me by phone tonight that his father competed in 20 countries and even tackled the decathlon. His wife of 70 years, Marge, died in 2009 and also competed. Bob had suffered from Alzheimer’s disease but will never be forgotten at Katella High School, where he was an assistant girls track coach for 28 years. Even a decade after retiring, Katella athletes would run by his Anaheim home to see him waving seated near the street, David said. “People who did not know him knew of him,” David said. “He’s been athletic all his life,” playing softball and basketball in a variety of leagues. He held track records at Manual Arts High School in his birthplace of Los Angeles as recently as 10 years ago. Bob also attended Los Angeles City College and spent a 40-year career with the phone company. Bob was born May 18, 1920, and competed in at least three world masters meets — 1985 Rome, 1987 Australia and 1997 South Africa, David told some other friends.
Ed Whitlock was shown in an ad for Athletic Greens on the Taboola network.
Last November, I wrote about a shady outfit promoting Athletic Greens, a dietary supplement. Peter Taylor commented on my post, noting that he’d seen Ed Whitlock’simage connected to the supplement-pusher. I didn’t see the photo until a couple days ago. But I was curious whether Ed, our M80 distance friend, had given anyone permission to use his face in an ad served up by Taboola. Of course he hadn’t. He wrote me: “I am not happy about its use to promote supplements of any sort. … I am just hoping the ad disappears.” Wish granted, Ed. I wrote Taboola on Sunday, and today I got a note from Tammy Blythe Goodman, Taboola’s marketing communications manager in New York. Tammy wrote: “Advertisers on Taboola are responsible for the ownership of all images. We were not aware that Athletic Greens did not have the rights to this image, and we have removed this image from our network.” I’m still waiting to hear from Athletic Greens. The shot was taken at a Toronto Waterfront Marathon, and those folks are looking into unauthorized use as well.
Taboola ads appear below or alongside regular articles, like this on Time.com.
Jimson Lee’s Speed Endurance blog has a new guest columnist: world-class M50 sprinter Allan Tissenbaum. His first topic is near and dear to his legs: the hamstring. Allan suffered a hammie pull at Olathe nationals, and knew what befell him. He’s an orthopedic surgeon, after all. In his blog post, Dr. T writes: “The most common cause is excessive strain during a negative contraction and the severity has to do with the speed of the contraction. This is most likely to occur in the late swing phase of sprinting when the knee is extended and the hip flexed. What is apparent after reviewing the literature is although we think we understand the injury, we are really unsure as what to do for prevention or the best rehabilitation protocols.” But he’ll have suggestions in later columns. Best of luck in his column — and comeback.
Bill Collins offers psychic support as Allan is carted off the Olathe track.
Thomas Zacharias is back — despite lumbago in his back. A 1968 Olympian with an all-time high jump best of 2.22 (7-3 1/4) indoors, Thomas straddled another world indoor record this month. Now 66, he cleared 1.65 (5-5) to beat the listed M65 indoor WR of 1.62 (5-3 3/4) first set in 1993 by American Jim Gilcrist and tied in 2001 by Austrian Horst Mandl.. According to a German report, Thomas nearly made 1.67 (5-5 3/4) as well. That would have beat Phil Fehlen’s listed outdoor WR of 1.66 (5-5 1/4). The record jump came at the Spanish masters nationals March 3 in Zaragoza.See results here. A rough Google translation of the German report says Thomas had the flu and lumbago last year, but was recovered this season for the record tries. He’s now shooting for a higher jump at Budapest worlds, he says. Thomas was the first and only M50 to jump 2.00 (6-6 3/4). Indoors, of course.
If India can sort out its dueling federation issues, might it host worlds in 2018?
So you have a country that isn’t named USA, Australia, France, Italy, Spain or Finland. Wanna get a world outdoor masters track championships? Here’s your chance. WMA has issued a call for bidders for 2018 outdoor worlds. The 2015 meet is in France, 2016 in Australia. But after 2013 Brazil, don’t count on another Third World venue soon. Athletes should have a say, too. So where would you like to go? India? China? Back to the site of debut worlds — Canada? Here’s where we’ve been. “All completed bid applications must be sent to the secretary by the 1st September 2014,” says WMA Secretary Winston Thomas. WMA charges a sanction fee of $120,000, BTW. See the contract. But let’s not forget Budapest worlds starting March 25 (and note revised schedule). Safe travel to all. In the meantime, where’d you like to go in 2018?
With the NCAA indoor championships being held the same weekend, I feared USATF would overlook the stars of Boston nationals. Thank goodness, Indy held to form. They chose a star of the masters meet as the USATF Athlete of the Week. Good pick: Irene Obera, the legend returning to form at 80. USATF nicely framed the honor in light of her competition: “Obera wins AOW honors during a week that included several strong performances. Ed Burke, a masters M70-74 athlete, set a new world record in the weight throw; Shalane Flanagan set an American record in the 15 km; Phyllis Francis of the University of Oregon set an indoor AR in the 400m at 50.46 and anchored the 4x400m relay to gold to clinch the women’s team title, and Kendell Williams of the University of Georgia set a World Junior record indoors in the pentathlon with 4635 points at the NCAA Division I Championships meet.” In the olden days, the world’s fastest man over 50 or 60 was the thing to be. Now Irene is showing that women crave speed as well. Good for her! Now the rest of you 80-something ladies, go buy spikes!
Dave Clingan writes about his Oregon Masters Mile on June 14: “Yes, we are about to celebrate our 10th year of world-class masters mile competitions during which 
four American records and three world records have been broken in Portland, Oregon. As usual, prize money in the amounts of $200, $150 and $100 will be given to first-, second- and third-place finishers, plus $100 for the top age-graded time. The top 15 entries will compete in the A section and a B section will be added if needed. 

This year, every participant in the seeded section will receive a commemorative plaque and all runners are invited to a postrace celebration featuring a round of Oregon’s finest micro-brews to toast the event (and my 60th birthday!). The field is limited, so please contact me if you are a yes, no or maybe this year. Hope to see you there!

” Oh my, the big 6-0! I guess I’m getting up there, too, since Dave is only a few days older.
Here’s the start of 2012 race. How many superstars can you pick out?
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...]
