News
Aussie pair to be crowned World Masters Athletes of the Year
Marie Kay (NSW) and
Peter Crombie (NSW) have been announced by World
Masters Athletics (WMA) and the IAAF as World Masters Athletes of
the Year for 2010.
Kay and Crombie will receive their awards at the IAAF World
Athletics Gala in Monte Carlo (MON) next month, a celebration of
the year in athletics around the world and the achievements of the
sport.
Newly-crowned two-time Commonwealth Games pole vault gold medallist
Steve Hooker is also in line for a share of the
honours, nominated as one of 10 male athletes in the running to be
named 2010 World Athlete of the Year.
Cast
your vote for Hooker today.
The IAAF World Athlete of the Year awards were first presented in
1988 for open athletes and 2004 for masters athletes. Australians
Jeanette Flynn (W50, Qld, 800m) and Andrew
Jamieson (M60, Vic, walks) have each previously taken out
the award, getting the nod in 2004 and 2007 respectively.
Strict criteria apply for the award, including that the nominees
must have competed in a WMA championship (in 2010 this was the WMA
indoor titles in Kamloops, CAN) or their WMA regional championships
(Oceania) during the period August 31, 2009 to September 1, 2010.
Athletes need to have achieved at least one gold medal and to have
performed to a very high standard. Three performances form the
basis for the award.
In their nominations, Kay and Crombie achieved the following:
Marie Kay (W50, UTS Norths)
At the world indoor championships in Kamloops, Kay won the
pentathlon with a world record haul of 4906 points and victory in
all five events. Kay broke the record by 300 points, a mark
formerly held by Christine Mueller (SUI) and before that Phil
Raschker (USA), both previously recognised as IAAF World Masters
Athletes. Kay’s pentathlon results in the shot put and hurdles were
better than the winners of these individual events.
Also at the WMA indoor championships, Kay won the 200m in 27.33,
the individual long jump, high jump and 400m and anchored the
Australian W40 4x200m relay team to silver. Kay now has three
consecutive wins (2006, 2008, 2010) at the world indoor titles in
the 200m, 400m and long jump.
At the Australian Masters Championships in Perth, Kay won the long
jump with a world record leap of 5.41m, a record previously held by
Phil Raschker.
She also competed at the WMA Regional Oceania Championships,
winning seven gold medals (heptathlon, high jump, 100m, 200m, 400m,
long jump, 80m hurdles). Her performances included three Oceania
records and two national records.
Kay is one of the most outstanding athletes in masters athletics
with a diversity of talent across a broad range of events. She has
previously been nominated by Oceania for this award in 2008, with
world records in the 200m and 400m indoors, and in 2009, with a
world record in the heptathlon. Kay coaches a squad of young
athletes from the Wollongong area at Beaton Park.
Peter Crombie (M65, Sydney Pacific)
At the WMA indoor championships in Kamloops, Crombie won the 60m in
8.35. He also won the 200m, gained a silver medal in the 400m and
anchored the Australian M60 4x200m relay to a bronze medal. The
remarkable aspect of Crombie’s success in Kamloops was that he had
major knee surgery in early 2009 and was told by his doctor he had
little chance of ever running again, certainly not at national or
international level. Crombie’s achievements in Kamloops say much
for his 'never tell me never’ approach to rehabilitation and
his commitment to hard work.
At the USA championships in Sacramento, Crombie won the 100m in
12.62, setting a new national record for the M65 age group. In
doing so he defeated the current world record-holder.
Also at the USA Championships, Crombie won the 200m in 25.67,
setting a new national record for the M65 age group and defeating
the current world record-holders, indoor and outdoor.
Peter is a long-term member of the sport and has been very
competitive in the 100m, 200m and 400m at an international level
for many years. He has served on the Board of ANSW and Australian
Masters Athletics as Vice President and as a delegate for his
country at the WMA General Assembly; he is held in high regard by
his peers throughout the world. He also coaches a squad of masters
athletes at Narrabeen.
Congratulations Marie and Peter!
With thanks to Janet Naylon, Wilma Perkins and Lynne
Schickert
Image courtesy of Lesley Richardson
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