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MASTERS ATHLETICS WORLD MASTERS INDOOR.
WORLD MASTERS INDOOR
ATHLETICS
CHAMPIONSHIPS,
BUDAPEST 24-30th MARCH.
Words: BRIDGET CUSHEN.
Pictures: TOM PHILLIPS.
Record number of competitors; record number of
countries.
The first World Masters Indoor was held in snow
covered Sindelfingen, Germany, in 2002 attracting 2,635
competitors from 57 countries, 12 years on this biennial
Championships has reached true Global status as all six
regions were represented here with 3,852 competitors
from 70 countries. Questions was raised initially as to the
wisdom of including some outdoor events, you have only
got to look at the entries here - 244 in the hammer, over
240 in the javelin and 338 in the 10k road walk, for
example, to justify the demand. The World Masters cross-
country should be an automatic inclusion. WMA is to be
congratulated on their initiative and for awarding the 6th
Championships to Hungarian Athletics, in the lovely city of
Budapest with its envious 4 and 6 lane adjoining tracks, an
outdoor track and separate warm-up area.
Our 302-strong team was, arguably, the most high profile
to compete in an international Indoor as it included athletes
of the calibre of Olympians Tony Whiteman and Ian
Richardson, M/W35-39 internationals James Thie, sprinters
Lesley Ouwsu, Ellena Ruddock and Mark Findlay plus
defending champions and record holders. We were the
fourth largest entry, Germany had close to 500.
The Pentathlon commenced at 08.00 on the first day and
by the close of play first-timers W35 Leanne Buxton was on
her way to a 3538pts World Indoor title, Maria Henry was
out after three events, Gayle Clarke bagged the W50 title,
W40’s Amanda Wale 6th and Dawn Jones came 9th . 37-
year old Spaniard Oscar Gonzaelez’s 8.33 60mH win
notched him 932pts for a 4108pts winning total; Gavin
Fordham scored 3387 for 8th The 1996 Olympian Mattias
Sunneborn, Sweden took the M40 title with 4035pts. British
placing were 7th Lawrence Ramm 3350pts, 9th Ian Padget
3248 and 11th Wayne Gadd, 27 men finished and 24 in the
M50 where Greg Dunson was just out of the medals. M55
John Mayor collected yet another international medal, 3rd
4066pts, Brian Slaughter 6th. At 70 the German, Rolf
Geese, continues to show remarkable strength and agility
with a 9.89 60mH and 4.48 long jump. Fordham, Ramm,
Gadd and Major all bettered their BMAF performances.
There were endless 60m quarter/semi-finals, 69 entered
the M45 and up to seven heats were needed in some age
categories. Jason Carty described the M40 final as the
worse race he has ever run in. After the sixth false starts,
the Starter spoke to the sprinters to calm things down. “It
was not the Starter, it was the athletes, it was so
frustrating” Carty added after he had finished 5th in a final
won by the French man Belghorzi in 7.17sec from Ricardo
of Portugal and Mark Collins 3rd. Strakh of the Ukraine and
the Spaniard Notel both pulled up injured. The M35
category were no doubt unsettled by the M40 final and
after two false starts the Brazilian Rodrigo Fellini put in a
final burst to win in 6.91 from Mark Findlay 6.95 with
Tamunonengiye Ossai 4th. Pat Logan and Dalton Powell
were 4th and 5th in the M50 race. John Brown collapsed at
the finish of his M60 sprint after an adductor pull at the
start, but he managed to snatch 7th and evergreen Wally
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Franklyn was 6th. Alasdair Ross did not start; Tom Phillips
should have been able to come in as he was 9th fastest and
would have been allowed to compete.
Just how unlucky can you be? Victor Novell and the Italian
Antonio Montaruli shared exactly the same time in their
M65 semis – 8.64sec. The Italian, running in semi 1 got the
nod for 8th qualifier. M80 Alan Mellett finished close to
Kimmel of Germany. Tony Bowman limped into the M75
final. The American World W35 100m champion, Brandi
Bernert, had to fight hard to hold off Ellena Ruddock 7.75
to 7.80 with Lesley Owusu 5th and a great run from Helen
Channon took her to 6th in a class final. Four British
sprinters made the W55 final, won by Wendy Alexis of
Canada in 8.59 from Averil McClelland 2nd, 3rd Carole Filer,
4th Jane Horder and Joan Trimble 5th. The Canadian
WMA100m title holder, Karla Del Grande, set a World W60
Record 8.57sec as Caroline Powell ran her close, W65 Iris
Holder made her final but it was W75 Dorothy Fraser who
struck gold in 11.55sec.
All M35 200m finalists ran slower than their qualifying times
with the favourite Anton Dussett USA, who had clocked
22.12 in his semi, pulling up injured leaving the Romanian
Nisu to win in 22.33 from Richard Bearsell 22.55 after a
22.33sec semi. 57 men went to their blocks for the M40
title, won by the Swede Sunneborn in 22.27sec, none of
the British contingent made the final. It was no easier for
M45 Darren Scott but the Mancunian held pole position
throughout going on to win in 23.19 from Itacaramby of
Brazil and Lachmann, Germany. Marcus Shute, USA, was
a surprise elimination in the M50 semis where World 100m
champion Pat Logan and Neil Tunstall were to get 4th and
5th behind Soini of Finland and Martin Prime Trinidad &
Tobago. Dalton Powell did not start. The host nation got
their first gold from M55 Bodnar (24.41) Tennyson James
came 5th after a 25.49 semi. All our M60’s survived the first
round. The man behind the Camera, Tom Phillips, missed
the final slot to the Slovenian, Nikolic, by a tantalising 26.90
to 26.91sec. Bill Collins is now aged 63 and still sprinting
superbly. The Texan Olympian has been fighting a
debilitating illness for some years; he won here in 24.70
taking Alasdair Ross to a new European 25.24 record.
Wally Franklyn placed 5th in 26.70 after a 26.58 semi. The
M65 also went to USA courtesy Charles Allie in 25.44.
Anthony Paul got 4th in 27.90sec he also just missed out on
a medal in the 400m. Surrey M70 sprinters Terry Bissett
and Charles Isetts survived the preliminaries; Terry went on
to get a bronze medal and another in the 400 behind Larry
Barnum, USA. Germany dominated the M75 final where
the remarkable Guido Muller ran 27.99 and M80 Alan
Mellett had to run a semi before he decisively won in 34.16.
The sheer number of entries in the 40-55 age category in
jaw dropping and most of our sprinters ran season’s best.
On the distaff side more medals were flowing in as Ellena
Ruddock strode to gold and Lesley Owusu the bronze.
Another bronze followed in the W40 final from the Preston
sprinter Sharon Greenwood,
The Canadian Alexis again headed Averil McClelland,
Carole Filer 3rd and Joan Trimble 6th. Karla Del Grande was
to set her second W60 WR (28.23sec) as Caroline Powell
was a clear 2nd. W75 Dorothy Fraser got her second
medal, a silver.
Richard Beardsell struck gold and a British record in the
M35 400m in 49.07 from Saldeno of Venezuela 50.63 and
David Brown 50.74. Michael Gardner won the M45 51.46
from Wilcox of Australia 52.02. Alasdair Ross was to get
his second M60 British record here with a 58.13 win. After
so many rounds on what was described by some as a hard
track, legs were tired but there were still superb finals.
Lesley Owusu’s 56.51 victory from Donatella of Italy, Susie
McLoughlin 3rd and Helen Reynolds 4th, Sharon
Greenwood ducked under 60sec for a W40 silver medal.