One might wonder whether runners would run in 35 degrees Celsius or Fahrenheit. That was close to the conditions in Bathurst, Australia for the WMA Short Course Cross Country Championships last month and today. Kate Seibold, W45, AUS, David O’Brien, M55, AUS, April Lund, W40, USA, Todd Stevens, M50, NZL, and Kevin Dillon, M65, GBR, were up for and survived the challenge. Also up for the challenge in Toruń were 2008 Olympian, Yurika Nakamura, W35, JPN, and 2004, 2008 and 2012 Olympian Grzegorz Sudol, M40, POL. The closest races were in M60 where Ireneusz Kasprzak, POL, ran 30:03 outpaced countryman, Marek Dziegielewski by 8 seconds and M50 where Josef Procházka, CZE, ran 28:26 which was 2 seconds ahead of Francisco Javier Donato Rosendo, ESP.
Jose Escalera, M55, PUR, who won the M50 high jump in 2019 tied Ruediger Weber, GER, in the M55 High Jump with 1.75m. Michelle Weitzel, GER, long jumped 5.83m on the second overall trial of W35 category to lead the remainder. Nada Chroudi, TUN, leaped 5.74m on the second to last overall trial to almost overtake Michelle. Birgit Plifke, GER, put the shot 12.53m in the second round to lead the W60 competition until Valda Morkuniene’s, LTU, 12.69m in the fifth round. Olle-marek Kaljuvee, EST, threw the hammer 49.64m to take the M40 category over Damian Kozlowski, POL, who threw 49.33m. Mykola Onishchuk, UKR, made the M70 javelin competition exciting by throwing 38.56m in his final throw overtaking Walter Kühndel, GER, 38.07 and Stefan Madej, POL, 38.02 plus coming close to Manfred Ahlert’s, GER, first round throw of 38.81m.
Amazing competitions in 3000m racewalk where Miguel Angel Carvajal Ortega, M55, ESP, finished less than a half second faster than David Annetts, GBR, and Joel Dubow, M80, USA, (21:35.93) barely edged Amatore Michieletto, ITA, (21:35.98). Former Olympians did well in the 3000m racewalk: Rafal Sikora, POL, 2012, first in M35, Tomasz Lipiec, POL, 2000, first in M50 and Rodrigo Moreno Munar, COL, 2008, 4th in M55. Ian Richards, M70, GBR, competing in his eleventh Championship, made the podium in the 3000m Race Walk almost repeating his 2019 accomplishment in the same age group.
Sumiko Yamakawa Imoto, BRA, set her second world record at the Championships by putting the shot 8.27m. Karla Del Grande, CAN, ran a fantastic 1:11.34 in the 400m semi-finals to crush the current world record.
Melissa Foster, AUS, W40 long jump, and Mireille Kosmala, LUX, W50 weight throw, repeated as WMACi Champion in their respective age groups. Tatjana Schilling, W50, GER, long jump, Petra Bajeat, W55, FRA, long jump, Mária Gosztolai, W75, HUN, shot put, Gloria Krug, W90, USA, shot put, Maria Sløk Hansen, W40, DEN, weight throw, Miguel Periañez Garcia, M60, ESP, 3000m race walk, Jose Escalera, M55, PUR, high jump, Marco Segatel, M60, ITA, high jump, Mariusz Walczak, M50, POL, hammer throw, Wojciech Kikowski, M75, POL, javelin throw and Lothar Huchthausen, M85, GER, javelin throw repeated as WMACi Champion but in a new age group.
