The 8 day 19th Oceania Masters Athletics Championships (official results) in Dunedin, New Zealand concluded today with about 350 athletes competing. Arguably, the stars appear to be Clasina van der Veeken, W85 NZL, and Ron Johnson, M85 NZL, who each won 12 gold medals and one silver in individual events. Combined, they competed in a total of 53 events including Weight Pentathlon, combined event (Pentathlon & Decathlon respectively) and a myriad of individual events. Ron bettered championship records in the Triple Jump, Shot Put, Discus, Hammer, Javelin and Decathlon while Clasina bettered championship records in 60m, 400m, 800m, 1500m, Long Jump, Shot Put, Hammer, Pentathlon and Half Marathon. There is no listed W85 pentathlon World Record so Clasina could have set that mark!
Gillian Young, W70 AUS, ran the 2000m Steeplechase in 10:03.49 which betters Marie Michelsohn‘s, USA, 10:20.43 set in 2012. Jeanette Flynn, W65 AUS, ran the second fastest 400 ever in 1:09.01.
Vicki Townsend, W50 AUS, captured 12 individual medals (6g, 1s, 5b). Claire Giles, W60 NZL (7g, 1b), Judy Hammond, W80 NZL (7g) and Peter Tearle, M90 NZL (7g) each won 7 golds. The rest of the 6 gold medal winners were Andy Richardson, M50 NZL (6g, 1s), Louise Martin, W50 NZL (6g), Mary Thomas, W70 AUS (6g) and Valerie Worrell, W80 AUS (6g). These athletes won 5 golds each: Patrick McCarthey, M30 AUS (5g, 4s), David Anstiss, M70 NZL (5g, 2s), Bruce Solomon, M55 NZL (5g, 1s, 1b), Helena Dinnissen, W30 NZL (5g, 1s), Wilma Perkins, W65 AUS (5g, 1s), Travis Venema, M40 AUS (5g, 1s), Morland Smith, M80 AUS (5g, 1s), Kylea Gough, W40 NZL (5g),
Brayden Grant, M30 NZL (5g), Nick Bolton, M45 NZL (5g), Dennis O’Leary, M60 NZL (5g),
Marge Allison, W70 AUS (5g), Colin Silcock-Delaney, M85 AUS (5g),Robert Fettus, M40 AUS (5g), Laini Inivale, M50 NZL (5g) and Thomas Gravestock, M60 AUS (5g).
A special thank you to Lynne Schickert and the OMA leadership, Joan Merrilees and the local organizing committee and all the officials and volunteers without whom we Masters Athletes would not have had this opportunity to compete. Thank you to Bryce Watt for your tremendous help getting these results listed quickly. Also, thank you Laini Inivale for introducing many more athletes to this site and congratulations on your 5 gold medals!
Photos by Caswell Images Sport and several athletes’ posts. Official event photos are available here. Thank you to all the photographers who support our sport.
Did Hector Mein of NZ compete?