On the 5th day of the XX World Masters Athletics Track & Field Championships in Porto Alegre, Brazil, competitors had to endure a tropical storm as thunder, lightning, torrential downpours and a cross wind delayed some competitions resulting in a late night finish on one of the busiest days of the 10-day Championships.
Stephen Peters again ran the fastest time in his M60-64 age group 200m heat and semi to lead the qualifiers. 57 men went to their blocks when Preliminaries, Quarter and semis were necessary in the M55 age group. All the other British sprinters performing magnificently in the atrocious conditions to get through to tomorrow’s finals.
M70 Barry Ferguson (SCVAC), Robert Stevens (SVHC) and Tony Wells (EVAC) all won silver in the 300mH. Claire Cameron (SVHC) also got a silver medal in the women’s aged 55-59 discus competition.
Current European Champion, Laura Mahady (SVHC) spread-eagled the field to win the W55-59 800m. Caroline Marler (NVAC) won the W60 800m race and Londoner Nina Anderson (VAC) got outsprinted in the final metres by the Italian, Bassiolini, in the W40-44 800m race.
It was gold for Cheltenham’s Jane Hoarder in the W55 300m hurdles and a second gold medal for Jill Harrison from the South West Veterans AC as she splashed her way to victory in the W50 10,000m in the 3rd stadium.
Winston Laing (SCVAC) struck gold in the M70 800m, M55 David Oxland (MMAC) collected his second silver whilst in the M45 group David Cowlishaw finished 5th and Adrian Haines (SCVAC) 7th.