Competition got underway Wednesday in the WMA World Track & Field Championships being held in Sacramento. The first day of Track & Field competition included the first day of events for the women’s heptathlon and men’s decathlon. These combined events conclude tomorrow at Sacramento State University’s Hornet Stadium.
The first finals completed at these World Championships were in Cross Country. All women cross country runners and men aged 65 and older competed Wednesday at Granite Regional Park. Men 35-64 will race Thursday.
In the first race of the day, Kathryn Martin added to her collection of World Championships victories, winning the race among Women 55-89 and the Women’s 55-59 division in leading the United States W55-59 team to a victory.
Local women, Jo Anne Rowland and Irene Herman led the United States team to a second place medal in the W60-64 division, with Rowland taking an individual bronze and Herman claiming 6th place.
Another local athlete, Barbara Robben, was 5th in the W70-74 division, but the United States did not field enough runners to make a team in this division.
In the second race of the day, Albert Andereqq of Switzerland was the overall winner. Local resident Len Goldman took 13th in the M65-69 division, leading the United States team to a 3rd place medal. Another local, Hans Schmid, finished 6th in the M70-74 division, and led the United States team to a gold medal, the first gold medal claimed by a PAUSATF athlete.
In the day's third and final race, women 35-54 raced under a burning sun, with Soledad Castro Solino of Mexico winning the overall event. Verity Breen, who has lived and competed locally for the past year and a half, took 2nd place in the W40-44 division while leading the W35-39 team to victory, giving this PAUSATAF athlete an individual silver and team gold medal.
Another local athlete, Lisa Balestrini, took 8th in the W45-49 division, earning a team silver medal in the process.
For those long-time track & field fans, Zola Pieterse, who competed at the LA Olympics in 1984 as Zola Budd, was 2nd in the W45-49 division, still competing for the Republic of South Africa.
Congratulations to all.
Note: If I have missed any local athlete, please leave a comment and I will include an addendum to this article.
