Masters age-group world records you can trust — posted at last
Andy Hecker, the Masters Rebel with a Cause, has outdone himself this time. Instead of joining the Greek chorus complaining about WMA’s fatally flawed world records, he’s started his own list. Check this page out. Andy is updating age-goup WRs via Wikipedia — a site that exploits the wisdom of crowds. This means that marks ignored by WMA, or rejected for some nonsense technicality, will finally have a place in the sun. Bravo for Andy. Best of all, anyone can correct and update this page. The tradeoffs are obvious. But without some place to honor our best marks, we’re left with WMA’s records. Unacceptable.
We all want to be Ruth Frith: setting world age-group record at 101
Ruth Frith
Ruth hurls the hammer at Canberra throws meet in early October.
Marie Kay raring to go to Monte Carlo for IAAF Gala honors
Marie Kay in Lahti.
Joanna Harper’s moving story: She changed from male to female
Joanna Harper
Raschker on nude shoot: ‘I experienced several positive emotions’
Phil Raschker has been there and done it all. All except pose nude for a national sports magazine. Since her involvement in ESPN the Magazine’s second annual Body Issue has triggered some stark reactions, I sent Phil some shameless questions. Bottom line from Phil: “It was a terrific experience, probably a once-in-a-lifetime experience. This week ESPN is sponsoring a Body Issue party in New York City, and I am really looking forward to it. ESPN has done a fantastic job and they treat us like royalty. It’s one of the best experiences of my life!”
Jeff Riedel photo in magazine shows her down to her ankles.
M90 world sprint icon Sansonetti stars again in Italian TV ad
M90 sprint god Ugo Sansonetti, who once appeared in a popular Coca-Cola commercial, is back as a TV star in Italy. This time his part promotes a margarine. But a great storytelling commercial depicts him as an old man unappreciated. Then when a baby carriage starts zooming downhill, Ugo zooms after it. Classic.
Phil Raschker in Garden of Eden? See ESPN the Magazine
The current issue of ESPN the Magazine is creating a buzz in Mastersland. It has a pictorial series showing naked athletes in “The Body Issue.” Masters are in the mix, including our own Phil Raschker. At 63, she’s not even the oldest athlete pictured (see No. 16). Masters swimmer Jeff Farrell is shown at age 73.
Phil Raschker also appears briefly in a video accompanying the issue.
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Huntsman Games were tragic for couple of high school students
Masters athletes witnessed the lightning strike that left two students in critical condition at the Huntsman World Senior Games. Barry Warmerdam, a javelin thrower, wrote yesterday: “The track competition was held on the campus of Snow Canyon High School, but the first day of the competition, Monday, was mostly postponed due to multiple lightning strikes in the vicinity, along with several deluges of rain. Competition resumed under troubled skies on Tuesday morning. Postponed events were made up in the morning, pushing scheduled events to later times.”
Results trickling out for the 2010 Huntsman World Senior Games
Haven’t had time to review all the results, but this week’s track meet up in Utah seems to have had some great competition. See results here for the so-called Huntsman World Senior Games. (They’re not affiliated with WMA or the National Senior Games Association, I don’t think.) Jim Barrineau won the M55 high jump at 1.75 meters (5-8 3/4), and Mike Waller won the M50 deuce in 24.58. But results are missing for some events, including the 100, 400, 1500 and triple jump. They held the standing long jump again this year, and the M55 event was won by Don Watson, with a prodigious leap of 2.86 (9-4 3/4). I’m told that schedule had the meet finishing by now. But maybe there was a rain delay. Anybody in Utah to confirm this?
Aussies Crombie and Kay named IAAF Masters of the Year
Australians Peter Crombie and Marie Kay have been named IAAF Masters Athletes of the Year, reports World Masters Athletics. Peter, a dominating M65 sprinter at Sacramento nationals, and Marie, a record-setting W50 multi-eventer, will be flown to Monaco for the IAAF Gala on November 21. This is the first time in the five-year history of the awards that two athletes from the same country have been so honored. Good on them! The last time an Aussie was honored was 2007 when racewalker Andrew Jamieson was joined by Phil Raschker at Monte Carlo.
Marie and Peter are longtime champions. (Photos by Lesley Richardson)
