Nick Berra, Brad Barton set M45 indoor world records at Armory
Brad (left) and Nick set 3K, 800 WRs at Armory.
Chris Brown lowers M35 WR in 400; Lagat also adds silver at Sopot
Geezer tracksters Chris Brown, 35, and Bernard Lagat, 39, both won silver Saturday at IAAF indoor worlds in Sopot, Poland, with Chris lowering his own M35 world record for 400 to an astonishing 45.58 lifetime best. The IAAF reported: “The Bahamian … thus [became] the oldest 400m medalist in the 15-year history of these championships.” Bernard’s 7:55.22 in the 3000 was behind his M35 world record of 7:37.97 from Doha four years ago (but makes him the oldest sub-8 guy). After the race, a European interviewer, asking Bernard about being a “retired runner,” queried how long he’d be competing. BL smiled and said: “You’re going to see me for a little longer.”
Italian star Emma Mazzenga, 80, is oldest lady to go sub-40 for 200
Emma was star at Turin World Masters Games.
Weiner at work: He’ll be busy with requests on Leland McPhie Show
Bob Weiner of Washington, our exceptional publicist, has issued his latest preview of Boston nationals and Budapest worlds. He notes in closing: “The [national] meet is returning to Boston after four years. It is the 14th time the national indoor masters championship has been held in Boston, the most of any city in the US. The 920 entrants are the most ever in Boston and third-highest ever for the event.” As always, he invites media outlets to watch the proceedings and interview the stars. A big draw this year will be M100 newbie Leland McPhie. But don’t forget that EVERYONE at nationals has a story to tell to their back-home press. So don’t be shy about writing local sports mavens in the local press, TV and online outlets about your achievements.
Devil made ’em do it: Aussie outdoor nationals are in Tasmania
The logo for the March 7-10 Australia Masters Athletics Outdoor Championships features the Tasmanian devil. How cool! The meet is being held in the Taz towns of Hobart and Launceston (for throws and regular pentathlon). Early results are posted. Organizers said of the meet dates: “This is a trial away from Easter in response to many members so that Easter can be spent with family. … Championships away from Easter will be of great benefit because we struggle to get officials at Easter and numbers tend to be down because of increased airfare and accommodation costs.” Entrants are listed here. Like USATF outdoor nationals, athletes of the year will be feted. But not in age groups. They pick honorees by event groupings. Here are the nominees. They have 11 finalists in the sprints-hurdles category, for example, including our friend Marie Kay. Six vie in the jumps. Same for distances. How strange to have outdoor nationals one weekend and world indoors two weeks later. Not much of an off-season.
Nearly 140 athletes to comprise Team USA at Budapest worlds
Phil has opted against adding to her sizable medal collection in 2014.
USATF has graciously posted Team USA for Budapest indoor worlds in late March. The roster here is a who’s who of masters track. But of the 140 athletes listed (with hometowns and events as well), some aren’t competing after all. They include IAAF Best Master Bob Lida (calf injury) and Hall of Famer Phil Raschker, 67, who says she is taking the season off. (Not an injury, but life issues have emerged.) “It is time to step back and hopefully I’ll be able to come back next year,” she wrote recently. In any case, some great Yanks are going. Among the best: M65 Charles Allie (sprints), M45 Nick Berra (middle distances), M60 Bill Collins (sprints), W75 Jean Daprano (name any race up to 1500), M35 Antwon Dussett (sprints), W60 Kathy Martin (800-3K and cross country), M70 Steve Robbins (sprints), M60 Nolan Shaheed (800-1500), W50 Joy Upshaw (usual mix) and W85 Johnnye Valien (ditto). Longtime superstars Emil Pawlik and Larry Barnum appear to be making comebacks. The busiest American by far: W65 Mary Trotto, entered in a dozen events, including a relay. Ice yourself, Mary!
Oh yeah, life goes on: Masters lovers doing the best they can
Here’s a little ditty about Rog and Diane, two American kids growin’ up in the heartland. It’s my latest masters love story. (Earlier episodes told of Jim Chinn wedding, Larry Barnum and his Aussie bride, and Dave Clingan and sweetie.) In this case, Rog is M65 world champ Roger Pierce and Diane is W45 world medalist Diane Tedford Pomeroy. They recently announced their engagement on Facebook, and I shamelessly wrote Roger for details. Mostly, I was curious about what happened to his three-decade marriage to Fran. In April 2006, my post was titled: “Roger Pierce credits wife for masters track career.” But life happens when you have other things planned. And so it was with Roger.
Roger and Diane pose at Penn. Their engagement was told on Facebook.
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Steve Peters goes from world-record sprinter to World Cup shrink
What’s the biggest pressure cooker in sports? If not the Olympics or Super Bowl, try the World Cup soccer tournament. And who can help you cope under the strain? In Britain, it’s Dr. Steven Peters, the perennial shrink to the stars. He’s famed for helping the UK cycling team grab Olympic hardware. Now we learn that Steve is tapped to help the Brits prepare for Brazil 2014. This report is a good summary, which quotes an adviser to England manager Roy Hodgson as saying: “Steve Peters can’t help you to do a Cruyff turn better or hit a 40-yard pass any more accurately than you can do it. Steve Peters is not going to help the players run an extra 100 or 200 metres or make them any quicker, although he is a sprinter himself, but what I can guarantee, if the players buy into it, he will be able to help them with mental preparation and make them understand how the mind works, especially when you are going into pressure situations.” Good on you, Steve!
Steve and friend Hazel Barker relax at Lahti worlds on the 2009 Rest Day.
Helly Visser (800, 1500), Guido Müller (400) add WRs over weekend
Canada’s Helly Visser and Germany’s Guido Müller are in a race to see who sets the most records this year. W80 Helly ran the 800 and 1500 last weekend in 3:46.70 and 7:38.11, both WRs, after setting 1500 and 3000 WRs earlier this year. See results of the Alberta Provincial Indoor Track and Field Championships in Alberta. Helly’s 800 beats the listed WR of 3:47.53 by Germany’s Melitta Czerwenka-Nagel in 2011. Avenging his countrywoman, M75 Guido ran the 400 in 63.12 for his latest age-group WR. He won three golds and a silver (the 60) at German nationals in Erfurth, also clocking 8.92 for 60, 27.87 for 200 and 10.89 in 60 hurdles. See results here. The only man who can handle Guido in the 2 and 4 is American Bob Lida. But not this year.
Kim Collins adds 60-meter WR to 100 best he tied last season at 37
Kim Collins keeps on truckin. He turns 38 in April — the Bernard Lagat of sprinting. Last season, he tied the M35 world record for 100 with his 9.97 in Lausanne. On Feb. 25, he smoked the pups in Prague with a 6.49 for 60 meters. That beat the listed WR of 6.50 by American Darvis “Doc” Patton a year ago. Kim is a four-time Olympian from Saint Kitts and Nevis who refuses to retire. But why should he? He’s running as fast as ever. (See his yearly progression.) The only question is whether he’ll get credit for the WR. WMA still doesn’t list Kim along with Linford Christie even though Kim ran 9.97 at an IAAF Diamond League event. Here’s the 6.49 race:
