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MASTERS ATHLETICS TRACK & FIELD

but was left with a heavily bruised foot. Wolfgang Ritte is till behind the Cypriot, Mitsides 50.38m while the M40/45 titles
successfully combining his M60 hurdles (15.69) with his need 58.60/57.30m. John Nicholls struck gold this time in the
unsurpassed pole vaulting record; here he soared over M45 shot 14.27m. A delighted Eleanor Gatrell made a
4.00m to retain his crown. Barry Ferguson rarely comes successful W35 depute with a shot and discus double. The
home without a fistful of medals, now turned 70 running in Estonian, Eha Rynne, sent the 1kg W50 discus spinning out
the sprints, over the hurdles and in the relays he notched up to a 45.82m World record.
another haul but the performance of the meet must surely go
to the indomitable 75-year old German Guideo Muller HELEN
speeding to an 80mH/300mH 14.66/49.93sec double, plus a CHANNON
clean sweep in the sprints. RETAINS HER
LONG JUMP
In the other stadium, lap scoring was faultless here with the TITLE
Electronic system and manual backup allowing maximum
numbers in the 10,000m combined age groups, starting with
the younger categories in the afternoon session in 36⁰C. The
DNF’s were high including the vastly experienced Belgium
Omer Van Norten, the defending M50 champion Guy
Bracken who had come out just for that race, all saying they
felt fine for a few laps but the oppressive heat was too much.
It did not appear to bother the predominant Russian and
Turkish entries. All the British runners tackled the 5k and
1500m as well, times were predictably slow. Conditions for
the women’s races in the early morning were much better;
here Alison Bourgeois, Angela Copson and Ros Tabor all
reached the podium.

Controversy surrounded the disqualification of John Oldfield
in the M70 steeplechase for “putting his hands on the
barrier!” When Team Management lodged an official
complaint pointing to IAAF Rule 169.7 as this qualified UKA
Official is only too familiar with; the Safety Judge’s
explanation was “he was DQ’d for his own safety! His
9.49.98sec finishing time was well inside the Medal Standard
and he should have been awarded the bronze medal. The
presence of two qualified Doctors as Safety Judges at EVAA
Championships has too often been a thorny issue.

Slovenian husband and wife team, Dusan and Stanka The venue for the road walks was way too far from the
Prezelj, both ex-international high jumpers must hold some stadium, walkers had to make their own way there by train
kind of a family record as their son is also a current and taxi on one of the hottest days where an unofficial 50⁰C
international; here Dusan’s 1.67m clearance broke the M65 was registered, but you can’t stop a good ‘un, World record
World Record set back in 2000 by the American Phil Fehlen. breaker Ian Richards still managed to walk to a resounding
Stanka cleared 1.27m to take the W60 title. Carole Filer victory. All finishers deserved a medal in such conditions.
(1.35m) and W40 Ayamba Akim (1.70m) struck gold. It was a
pity there were not more entries in the M35, won by Olaf Despite a 07.30 start and an overcast sky, the twice out and
Karlsson of Sweden with a 2.06m jump. Entries were down back Marathon course proved to be a test of survival for the
in the pole vault. Irie Hill retained her title while Theresa 193 entrants. Shade from the tall buildings gave some
Eades and Debbie Singleton made it 1 and 2 in the W55 and respite for the first 5km but as the course veered right taking
Sue Yeomans won the W60 Age category. Victory also came the runners on to the sea front with the burning sun reflecting
to David Gordon, 3.80m saw him win the M45 group, and off buildings, the heat and rising humidity took its toll. Won by
Alan Leiper was 3rd in the M50. In the horizontal jumps, the the early leader, 35 year old Hungarian Szabolcs Beda in
Surrey athlete Helen Channon was another to successfully 2.40.45, a full 10 minutes down on his time in Bratislava
retain her W35 LJ title clearing 5.35m, only marginally down earlier this year, he admitted that he found it hard. The
on her 5.56m in Zittau. Wolfgang Knabe cleared 14.13m in second man over the line, M40 Zhauronak from Belarus,
the M55 triple jump to break his own World record set earlier collapsed and third man home, M40 Italian Michele
this year, and further than his own M50 13.30m win in Zittau Bruzzone, walked the last few metres. VAC member Paul
two years ago.

Surprisingly for a European Championships, entries in the
women’s and younger men’s Field Events were very low but
the M55-plus all faced the usual strong opposition. A throw
of 50.16m in the M35 hammer got Mark Robertson a silver

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