Written by Bridget Cushen on 17 Mar 2016
The IAAF are continuing their cradle to grave governing policy and including a Masters W55 and M60 800m in Portland, Oregan, on Sunday, Karen’s race is scheduled for 12.25, David at 13.15.
Karen from Market Harborough, is the bronze medallist from the World outdoor in Lyon last August. She has the Americans Lesley Chaplin who was ahead of her in Lyon, Julie Hayden and Cheryl Bellaire, Hélène Douay (France) Marie Kay and Deborah Drennan (Australia) in her race. Sadly Karen is likely to perform well below par following a family bereavement and a bout of flu last week that forced her to miss the British Masters Championships in Lee Valley.
The World W55 Record is 2.27.84sec held since 2013 by Scottish Veteran Harrier, Laura Mahady, when winning the World Masters Indoor title in San Sebastian.
David is a seasoned competitor over a wide range of distances and will need to be in top form as his opponents include the current World Champion and World M60 record holder (2.14.06sec in 2014), Joe Gough of Ireland, Omar Clok from Uruguay who was 2nd to Joe at the World Masters Championships in Lyon last August. There are two Frenchmen in the field Pierre Faucheur, who has posted 2.16.45 Indoor this year, and Marc Schmitt (2:18.11), Oleksandr Lysenko from the Ukraine has a best time this year of 2:18.44 and Marcel Scholten (Netherlands) who held the World M55-59 record for this distance; he turned 60 last December.