Roald Bradstock may throw in British Olympic Trials—at age 50!
Roald Bradstock’s impossible dream just got less impossible. He may not throw jav in the 2012 London Olympics, but he’ll fall only one meet short. Over the weekend, he threw the spear 71.83 meters (235-8) at age 48, and thinks he qualified for the British Olympic Trials! Roald, who memorably threw in the U.S. Olympic Trials in 2008, writes: “I began my season yesterday in Clermont. Florida. In my first competition of 2011, on my second throw I broke three record … Set a new the UK Masters Record! Broke my own world (single-)age record!! Qualified for the 2012 UK Olympic Trials???”
Roald (center) with fellow M55 Mike Brown (left) and M60 Martin Menkin.
Breakfast of Geezerchamps? Ralph Maxwell shares mush recipe
M90 hurdler Ralph Maxwell, who shared USATF Male Masters Athlete of the Year honors for 2010, also likes to share recipes. He writes: “Folks nowadays seem obsessed with diet. Especially those who are interested in achieving or preserving vibrant health as they grow older. As a 91-year-old active competitor in track and field, I’m often asked some version of this question: ‘What kind of food does a skinny, wrinkled old geezer like you eat, anyhow?’ That question hits my babbler button, and I start gabbing away about Buzzy (my nickname since infancy) Maxwell’s Power Breakfast. It features that delicacy, MAXWELL MUSH, an original fortified oatmeal concoction. Here’s the recipe: (It’s not copyrighted. It’s so healthful it belongs in the public domain.)”
Ralph Maxwell scares up some grub — and prized mash — wearing a fright wig.
Silly season begins for WMA Sacramento worlds registrant list
Entrants are trickling into the Sacramento worlds database. Willie Banks is coming, for example. Bill Cheadle is making another comeback in the 400 hurdles. And then there’s M40 Lance Elliott of the United States, entered in the 800 meters with a time of 1:55. This led Masters Mole 2221c to write me: “Uh huh sure-Right: 1:55 verified. When did a 2:08 guy run 1:55? Here is Elliott’s rankings. Think I’ll enter with a 1:48 just for giggles.” In 1989, according to some old Iowa state meet results, Lane ran a 4:17 mile (or 1600, rather). So he probably ran a 1:55 at some point. But not lately. He ran a respectable 4:21.34 for 1500 last June at age 39, say these results. Anyone familiar with Lance’s recent racing? Can he go sub-2 in the 8?
Here's what Lance's submitted time looks like on Sacramento WMA website.
Bateman demolishes M55 world record for outdoor 5000 meters
Keith Bateman’s world record tour continues unabated down under. On Wednesday, Keith ran 5000 meters in a hand-timed 15:29.7 at an Athletics New South Wales “permit meet” at Blacktown Olympic Park in Sydney, reports Simon Butler-White, who says results of the meet should be online soon. The listed M55 WR is 15:37.0 by Britain’s Michael Hager in 2006. “That’s Keith’s third M55 WR and eighth Australian record in six months: mile (twice), 1500m (twice), 3000m (twice), 10,000m and now the 5000,” Simon writes.
Keith finishes his fabulous 5K on Wednesday. (Photo by Graham Jackson)
New Mexico masters inspiration Hugh Hackett dies at age 90
Hugh Hackett, a New Mexico coaching legend who competed as recently as last year, died last month of a heart attack. He was 90, and his wife informed friends recently. Tim Edwards of Scottsdale, Arizona, writes that Hugh “often competed here in masters meets in Arizona as he split his time between Albuquerque and Mesa. I have known him for the last eight years. Even over the last few years when he seemed to look ill, he would often compete in a running event, the long jump, and all the throws events in one meet when the temperature often exceeded 100 degrees. He was a real inspiration to many of us here in Arizona.” His funeral was Dec. 29.
New Mexico long jumper Clarence Robinson is shown with coach Hugh in 1965.
Phil Raschker profiled in NYT, includes refuted sex-change theory
At Orono masters nationals in 2002, I met a transgender (male-to-female) sprinter. We sat in the far side of the stands, and she told me her story. She was kind of strange. She told me she never drinks water after competition. But one thing caught my attention: She told me she had seen Phil Raschker up-close and that Phil was actually a former man, a transgender like her. Hard to believe. But this tall thin lady was insistent, saying proof was in Phil’s Adam’s apple. I undertook a quiet investigation, writing friends in Germany, where Phil was born. The upshot? The sex-change theory was total bunk.
Phil was photographed in midstride for the NYT by Erik Lesser.
M100 Austrian throwing star Alfred Proksch dies at age 102
The Koops’ website in Germany reports very sad news: M100 thrower Alfred Proksch died Jan. 3 of kidney failure less than a month after turning 102. He was one of five elder athletes featured in the German documentary “Herbstgold,” made by Jan Tenhaven and eventually to be out on DVD. Alfred threw both the shot and discus at Lahti worlds in 2009 — after undergoing knee surgery. He was sixth in the pole vault at the 1936 Berlin Olympics and later made a name for himself as an artist and graphic designer. My photo gallery showing him at Lahti is right here. Sorry to see him go. He was the epitome of dedication to the sport. Driven to excel.
Alfred's discus at Lahti was depicted in movie as soaring into the clouds.
McBarnette defense on auction acts: Attorneys said it was OK
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Bruce McBarnette admits bid-rigging, pays fines topping $47,000
Dec. 17 was not a good day for M50 world high jump champion Bruce McBarnette. On that day, according to this court document, he admitted that he gamed a system for auctioned properties in North Carolina. And he agreed to pay more than $47,000 in various fines and penalties. The N.C. Department of Justice found, among other things: “Defendants (Bruce and his company) were unjustly enriched in the amounts they received from other bidders in connection with their contracts, combinations or conspiracies to refrain from bidding.” The DOJ posted this news release on the case. News stories appeared in trade journals online and Associated Press stories.
Bruce's settlement with the North Carolina Department of Justice.
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California murder-suicide victim did masters pole vault, decathlon
EastCountyMagazine.com is reporting that Michael Cour — whose Santee, California, home burned with him and his wife in it over the weekend (an apparent murder-suicide) — was a masters trackster. He shows up in results as recently as 2003, where he no-heighted in the vault at UC San Diego in the western regionals. He was 53 in 2003. Question for y’all: Anyone know Mike? Anyone have photos of him? Need this info for my day job. Thankee. Feel free to write me privately. Here’s my story on his case, which includes his claim to being a masters decathlete.
