Sometime around noon local time Oct. 23 in Porto Alegre, Brazil, we should know who will serve as president of World Masters Athletics through 2017. Will it be incumbent Stan Perkins, whose term would include 2016 worlds in his native Australia (Perth)? Or will it be challenger Rex Harvey, the Ohioan who lost by a single vote at Lahti worlds in 2009? The decision will be made by several hundred delegates at the General Assembly, meeting in an auditorium near the stadium at Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul. But they could use some help deciding, so I’ll reprise my shameless-as-usual Q&A of the candidates. In 2005 and 2009, I did the same. (See the 2009 interviews here.) But this time, I want your ideas. What should I ask these gents? You can email me privately or post a comment.
Superstar meet director Seth Brower — the force behind dozens of meets — is promoting one Oct. 5-6 worth noting. Called Texas vs. The World Challenge, the event will benefit charities KidSight and the Wounded Warrior Project. It includes a decathlon (one for women, too) and a throws pentathlon. See the schedule. Seth, brother of longtime masters hurdler and USATF national official and webmaster Jeff Brower, labors in obscurity most of the time. Next year he should be considered for USATF’s David Pain Award for distinguished service to masters track. As far as scoring in Texas vs. The World (a somewhat hyperbolic name for a small meet in San Marcos), don’t bet against the Lone Star State. Best of luck, podners.
When I first heard of the M60 American shot put record by Quenton Torbert, I said: “Quenton who?” Turns out he’s better known as Doug. But he’s also a rookie to masters track, starting just after his 2011 retirement from teaching and coaching. So he truly is an out-of-the-woodwork story. But after breaking a Joe Keshmiri record, he’s established a name for himself. And come Oct. 19 in Porto Alegre, Brazil, he should be able to call himself something else: world champion. Doug uses the old glide technique — just as he did in high school and college. He hopes to reach 56-7 with the 5K shot, he reports in a Q&A he graciously consented to this week. Welcome to masters, Doug, and kick butt in Brazil!
Doug wears SoCal TC colors at Olathe. From left is the M60 shot field of George Murphy, Gary Schmidt, Joe Myers, Doug, Tim Muller and Ed Hearn.
Athletics Weekly in the UK is reporting six world age-group records set this weekend at the British Masters Track and Field Championships in Birmingham, including five by W80 Rosemary Chrimes and W75 Evaun Williams. AW, which takes geezer track seriously (unlike Track & Field News), says: “Chrimes, the 1970 Commonwealth Games discus champion who also made the final of the 1972 Olympic Games, came out on top in four W80 events at the Alexander Stadium, setting world records in the high jump at 1.07 meters (3-6) and her specialty discus at 24.11 (79-1 1/4). She was, however, most pleased with her 100m win in 19.75. Williams, five years younger, is now breaking Chrimes’ W75 records and herself set three new world bests in javelin, hammer and weight. Her best was a 38.34 (125-9) hammer mark. The only track world record came from Angela Copson, whose 20:10.09 cut three seconds from her own 5000 mark, a fortnight before she attempts a new W65 marathon record in Berlin. There were also a host of British records including an M70 5000m best from Martin Ford, at 18:33.85, which was also a new European best.” AW didn’t tell the javelin and weight marks for Evaun, and I haven’t found a results site yet. Here’s Evaun from two years ago:
A story posted before the World Masters Games in Turin was headlined: CARMELO RADO, A MAN WHO SETS A RECORD EVERY TIME HE THROWS. But he set no bests in Italy. Didn’t compete. But a month after turning 80 in August, there he goes again. “The Italian Rado Carmelo … set two world records in the throws during a competition in Aosta (ITA),” reports the WMA site. He scored 5,355 points in the throws pentathlon, blasting the listed M80 WR of 4,846 by Finland’s Leo Saarinen in 2009, and his discus that day flew 39.46 meters (130-1), nearly 6 feet past the listed best of 37.86 (124-2) by Finland’s Osmo Renvall way back in 1991. As noted here in 2007, Carmelo is a 1960 Olympian (seventh in the Rome discus). And he’s owned the event in recent years. He now is the M70, M75 and M80 record-man. Besides the 1-kilo discus, his pentathlon marks were 38.08 in the 3Kg hammer, 12.48 (40-11 1/2) in the 3K shot, 30.60 (100-5) in the 400-gram javelin and 17.92 (58-9 1/2) in the 12-pound weight. Yowza. He’s not listed as an entrant at Porto Alegre worlds, but he’s earned his rest. Congrats to Carmelo.
Carmelo Rado a few years ago. He now owns discus WR in three age groups.
In my rush to celebrate Laurie Rugenstein’s mile world record (unlikely to be ratified), I overlooked another 60-something’s record: Quenton Torbert threw the 5-kilo shot 16.67 meters (54-8 1/4). The mark at the Mid-America USATF regional meet in Fort Collins, Colorado, beat the listed M60 American record of 16.46 (54-0) by the late throwing legend Joe Keshmiri in 1998, a year before he died. And anyone who beats a Keshmiri record has to be awesome. His age group also is supercompetitive. Quenton has been
national champion the past few years, throwing 16.36 (53 8 1/4) at Olathe. The listed M60 world record is 18.37 (60-3 1/4) by Germany’s Klaus Liedtke in 2001. But many throwers suspect that was a dope-fueled mark, since Klaus later was suspended after a positive drug test. Still, Quenton would rank fourth on the all-time M60 list kept at mastersathletics.net. And on the Age-Graded Tables, 16.67 at age 61 is worth 21.77 (71-5 1/4) with the 16-pound shot. Not too shabby. So kudos to Quenton! Anyone have his email address?
Critics of Sacramento worlds were legion. But we weren’t alone. Today we learned that the top officers of World Masters Athletics faulted their flagship event as well. WMA President Stan Perkins of Australia writes in his 2013 report to the Porto Alegre General Assembly: “This championship had promised so much, but in several areas it was most disappointing. Generally all aspects of the competition were to a good standard, but it was the additional aspects that make an event memorable which were missing. Catering, change-room facilities, toilets, transport between venues, lack of shade at venues were all below expectation. Additionally the opening ceremony was an embarrassment when it should have been a showpiece. The closing ceremony was almost non-existent and an insult to the next hosts.” Oh my. Tell us more!
Sad news from Georgia. The USATF Georgia Association and the Augusta Chronicle report the death of Jim Hite, an active official and athlete in theAtlanta Track Club. “Jim Hite, Millen, GA, served the association in many capacities — as an official, a master athlete, board member, coach and friend,” USATF reports. “Jim Hite was the consummate athlete, working out till the last. His mission was to demonstrate that age should not be a deterrent in the pursuit of a healthy life-style. Our sympathies to his wife, Joyce Hodge-Hite, and to his family.” The paper’s obituary said he died September 6, 2013, of apparent heat stroke following a physical therapy session and “his usual 4-mile run.” He competed at 2011 Berea nationals in the 8, 15 and 5K and was fourth in a Canadian run-bike meet in August. Our deepest condolences. And thanks to Don Burkett for the links.
Jim Hite was a leader in the Atlanta Track Club’s masters track team.
This really chaps my hide. Watching today’s NBC replay of IAAF Diamond League meet in Brussels, I saw chilled water bottles being handed world-class athletes after their runs. Among them was Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, the female Usain Bolt. But according to USADA and the ever-vigilant officials at Olathe masters nationals, athletes in races under 5K have to fetch their own water. Why? Because they might be handed spiked containers, of course. Before being made aware of the rule, I made a stink at Olathe — calling for a table to be set up near the finish line with meet volunteers handing out cups of water. National masters chairman Gary Snyder even assented at first, saying meet organizers had promised such a service. But other officials vetoed the water-cup handouts, and the table was removed after a half-hour.
Shelly-Ann is handed water after winning 100 at Brussels IAAF meet Friday.
W60 star Kay Glynn is the masters track embodiment of Diana “Never Ever Give Up!” Nyad. Kay’s dream was to stay in the game. But a year and a half ago, she feared her vaulting-hurdling-throwing career was over at 59. She reported having dysplasia and the need for a total hip replacement. A week ago came wondrous news: “Instead of having a total hip replacement, I finally had a hip resurfacing done, which six doctors said I wasn’t a candidate for,” Kay writes. “I had it done by Dr. (Thomas) Gross in Columbia, SC, on Wednesday, Aug. 21 and was released two days later on Friday. I was one of the five resurfacings he did that day.”
Kay jumped 4-6 at the National Senior Games weeks before surgery.
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...]
September 17, 2013
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