3 British masters athletes selected to compete at World Athletics Championships in Beijing on 29 August
Written by Bridget Cushen on 24/05/2015
The biggest sporting event in 2015 is the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Beijing from 22-30 August that will attract competitors from 212 nations and an estimated 6 billion TV viewers. The IAAF is the World’s largest sporting Body and this year it will make a historic move by including an exhibition Masters 400m for women and an 800m for men aged 50-plus.
It will be the first time that a Masters (Veterans) event has ever been part of any Sports’ World Championships. Sally and David have been selected from 120 of the World’s Best Masters. Virginia is selected as a Reserve. Their races are scheduled for the start of the afternoon session on Saturday 29th in the Olympic Birds Nest Stadium.
We congratulate our members on their outstanding achievement and wish them every success in taking Masters athletics on to the World’s largest sporting arena in front of the World’s biggest viewing audience.
Sally, a member of the VAC, has won European and World Masters Championships medals. She will run against Marie Cederberg, Sweden, Mayka Emmi Garoglio, Argentina, Renee Shepherd, USA, Gianna Mogentale, Australia, Imone Geel, Netherlands, Elizabeth Wilson, NZL, Ukiko Usui, JPN, A.N Other China or Virginia Mitchell.
David, a member of the SCVAC, is currently living in France where he Teaches and Coaches youngsters in Toulouse. He ran 800m in 1.59.62sec. on 10 May; has a Personal Best time of 1.50.01 and Sub-4 minute mile as a Senior. His opponents are: Alan Cook, Australia, Gunnar Durén, Sweden, Anselm Lebourne, USA, Masahiro Ikeno, Japan, 1988 Olympian Paul Osland of Canada, Michael Sherar, Canada, Benoit Zavattero, France, A N Other, China or Giuseppe Romeo, Italy. David’s 80-year old father is spending his savings to travel to Beijing to see his son run into the history books.
Virginia, SCVAC, needs no introduction as she has won numerous British, European and World Age Group titles. She achieved a remarkable triple at the European Track & Field Championships in Hungary in 2010 winning the 400m in 60.18sec, 400m Hurdles in 66.82 and the 800m in 2.18.54sec plus heats and semis and graced the front cover of Masters Athletics. She also won the WMA World 400mH in Sacramento 2011.
We applaud the IAAF and World Masters Athletics for their foresight in bringing all age groups together and promoting competitive sport for life.