Swede seeks aid in creating all-time Eurovets Top 10 lists
Ivar Söderlind, the Eurovets statmaster, has issued a call for help in compiling European top 10 all-time lists. Ivar writes: “Two of my statistics experts and advisers, Bob Minting (Great Britain) and Ton Peters (Netherlands), will try to produce top-ten all-time rankings for European veterans. Bob will produce statistics for women and Ton for men. We need your help to implement this. We are very grateful if you will help us with all-time ranking lists and national records. Please send women’s lists to: Bob Minting (email: bob.minting@btopenworld.com) or The Rowans, Convent Road, Sidmouth, Devon EX10 8RD, ENGLAND. Send men’s lists to Ton Peters (email: aplpeters@versatel.nl) or Brahmsstraat 31, 4904 NA Oosterhout, NETHERLANDS.” Given the existence of mastershistory.org — and its series of annual rankings books — something like this is possible for Americans as well. Also, while you’re feasting today on big bird and wishing it were a track meet on TV instead of the Cowboys, give thanks for your blessings, including health, friends and masters track.
Chris Stone shares spirit of San Diego 3-Day Walk in photos
Chris Stone, my W50 superstar photographer wife, walked nearly 60 miles over three days ending Sunday. Except for a blister and weak knee, she made it through the Breast Cancer 3-Day journey with flying colors. And she was one of the few walkers among 4,000 taking part to carry a heavy Nikon camera. So her chronicle of the event is from an insider’s perspective, including shots of a San Jose cop serenading women outside biffies and cute little girls with signs in the window. Of course, none of this would have been possible without the financial support of our masters track friends, who responded generously to our appeal last May.
Click on image to be whisked to Chris’ 3-Day Walk gallery on Flickr.
Rita Hanscom savors her Cinderella moment at IAAF Gala
San Diego’s Rita Hanscom and Germany’s Guido Müller have gone where no masters have gone before: on stage at the annual IAAF Gala in Monaco. On Sunday, when Usain Bolt and Sanya Richards were named Best Athletes of the Year, Rita and Guido shared the same spotlight as the kids — handed their World’s Best Masters Athletes awards by British middle-distance legend Sebastian Coe. No small thing. In past years, the award was made quietly at the WMA table, not on stage. And the WMA table this year was in the center of the room, not on the far periphery, I’m told. Reportedly, WMA Secretary Winston Thomas of Britain engineered Rita and Guido’s appearance on stage after some last-minute negotiations with IAAF honchos. Nice job, Winston! Rita met Usain and other track superstars at Monaco, and also had a chance to chat with Sanya on the flight to Europe, she reports.
My thanks to Eurovets President Dieter Massin of Germany for providing the first two of these photos.
Rita Hanscom and Guido Müller were masters honorees at IAAF Gala in Monaco.
Silly season arrives at mastersrankings.com: bogus marks
Everyone knows that mastersrankings.com operates on the honor system. You post your own marks and get public credit (or shame). But behind the scenes this weekend, one shot put mark has been deleted by rankings czar John Seto, and another one could go soon. Meanwhile, a recent sprint mark is ripe for removal. According to the M55 sprint list, a gentleman named John Andrew ran 100 meters in 11.40 seconds. The listed world record is 11.44 by Bill Collins. So I’m kind of doubting John’s mark. The 11.40 was supposedly clocked at the recent Texas meet where Marion Jones spoke to kids.
By the time you read this, John Andrew’s name may be gone from list.
FloJo club’s youth meet inviting masters again in April 2010
About seven years ago, I was one of a handful of masters who competed at a primarily youth meet in San Diego. Scored a nice purple T-shirt for judging a bleacher-cheer contest. It was organized by FloJo International, a club led by Elizabeth Tate, sister of the late sprint record holder Florence Griffth Joyner. Now we hear that masters are again welcome at the meet: The “17th annual Flo-Jo International Invitational Track and Field Meet” will be held April 10-11 with a “proposed site (of) San Diego Mesa College.” Besides medals, “ribbons will be awarded (through) 8th place in every heat and every event,” says a flyer. “There will be Open and Master events to compete in; additional information and prizes to come.”
Marion Jones appears at Austin clinic, tells kids: Think first
Texas TV station KVUE covered Marion Jones’ appearance at a youth clinic organized last weekend by masters track majordomo Seth Brower in Austin. The station reported her message to the kids: “When you’re facing a situation in your life that’s critical — that the consequences could be life-changing – stop, take a break. Step back. Think. Consult your advisors, your friends, the people whom you trust to help you make the best decision.” KVUE also interviewed Marion separately for the 3 1/2-minute clip shown a day or two ago. Biggest revelation of the TV report: “She has written several books and hints that another one about her recent experience may be in the works.”
Marion ate up the attention of a friendly crowd of fawning youngsters.
Gérard Dumas: ‘Pitiful’ vaulter marks latest historic milestone
Gérard Dumas, a British Columbian fluent in two languages (English and Canadian), also speaks vault. In fact, he’s the pre-eminent historian of the event. He’s also the most vertically traveled vaulter ever. 
Now 74, Gérard claims 1,000 competitions (not including beach vaults or meets where he recorded no heights), reports Roger Ruth. “Gérard has competed in a total of 1,048 meets, five of those beach and 38 no-heights, leaving a total of 1,005 officially recorded. A former French indoor champion, his career best was 4.53 (14-10 1/4) in 1967,” says Roger, a former M40 WR man in the vault. Still clever after all these years, Gérard graciously consented to another interrogation after his historic season.
Gérard jumped 14 feet this day in 1966, his pit composed of scrap foam remnants.
Masters track returning to California State Games in 2010
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After perhaps a four-year absence, masters track returns to the California State Games next year, reports Lauren Brosamer
Memo to Stan Perkins: WMA site needs to expedite big news
Stan Perkins
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On May 1, 2010, masters tracksters around the world begin observing new rules of the game. For example: Some age groups will throw new weights. The decisions were made more than four months ago at the Lahti General Assembly (which I summarized in my original report). But only this week did WMA think to share the new rules officially. See details here. At this rate, it’ll be March when WMA posts its Masters Athletes of the Year. Given that new President Stan Perkins promised in my interview to make the WMA Web site more relevant, this delayed posting is dismaying. In July, Stan told me: “I think it is fair to say that the WMA website has been disappointing in that it has not been regularly updated, not just from a WMA perspective but also by the regions who each have allocated space within the website. . . . Getting the right person with the dedication and drive to make this website an effective information and marketing source will be one of my key objectives when I am elected as president.” Nice sentiments, Stan! Now make them happen!
$300 in Target cash offered in masters popularity contest
Don McGrath, the 50-interview gent, writes: “I’m sponsoring a contest for the 50-k Active/Athlete Challenge members
that I thought you would be interested in.
It is a photo contest for people who have taken the Challenge and has
a first place prize of $300 in Target gift cards, while the 2nd place
prize is an iPod.
These are great prizes, just in time for the holidays. All you need to
do is be a 50-k Challenge member, submit a picture with your 50-k “My
Active Life” T-shirt in it, and have other members vote for your
photo.
If you aren’t a member yet, then go to www.50-k.net and register. If
you don’t have a shirt, you can get one at the www.50-k.net store.
We’ll get one to you pronto.” Don says the contest closes at midnight December 17.
