Perth welcomes the World Masters

More than 4000 athletes and 3000 support staff and family and friends have descended on Perth for the World Masters Athletics Championships, which begin tonight.

Large contingents athletes aged 35+ have descended from the US, the UK and European countries as well as many South American countries.

Among the competitors are WA masters legends and former gold medallists and world record holders David Carr, 84, Lyn Ventris, 60, and Australia’s oldest competitor John Gilmour, 97, who has come out of retirement to compete one last time on home soil.

Competition will be stiff among the age groups with many former Olympians and Commonwealth games athletes and medallist and long-time masters’ competitors primed and in peak condition.

The 22nd edition of the Championships is the third time Australia has hosted the World Masters, most recently in Brisbane (Qld) in 2001.

Athletics WA is delivering the competition management over the Championships, which run from tomorrow, October 26th through to Sunday November 6. It will be staged at the WA Athletics Stadium in Mt Claremont, Ern Clark Athletics Centre in Cannington and Alderbury and Perry Lakes Reserves with the marathon being staged along Perth’s foreshore.

Entry to the event is free for all spectators with shuttle buses running from Claremont Showgrounds to WAAS every 15 minutes.

More information can be found at www.perth2016.com

Image: Venues West (Facebook)