The Brit won four gold medals and set two world and European records in Torun.
John Wright produced one of the greatest Masters performances of all time at last week’s European Masters (March 27 – April 2).
The 66-year-old Northern Master AC athlete, who already set the M65 masters world record of 400m 55.44 in Sheffield this winter, secured four gold medals in Torun.
He also set two world and two European records while showcasing his talent in Poland.
He clocked 62.99 and 60.58 in the 400m qualifier before falling short in the final. He covered the 200m in 26.31, a time that would later earn him a medal in the 200m final.
His second lap was slower (28.61), but he was still getting further away from the field. Wright’s time of 54.92 was historic as he became the oldest person ever to break 55 seconds, indoors or outdoors.
Not only did the Brit destroy the M65 world interior mark, he also bettered Roland Groger’s M60 mark of 55.35 from last year in Florida.
Richard White, who won the M65 title in Florida in Wright’s absence, finished a distant second in 59.12.
Wright then turned his attention to the 60m and again won his qualifiers in respective times of 8.41 (in his 400m in the afternoon) and 8.08 the following day before advancing to the evening final. His British M65 race best was 7.87 in February, although the certified mark from January was 7.94.
Incredibly, as many consider the 400m to be his best event, he ran a European record of 7.73, smashing the mark previously held by Slovakia’s Vladimir Vibostok. Wright’s previous best was 7.81 11 years ago.
He won by about 3 meters and again his time would be safe for M60 gold. Wright is just 0.04 shy of the decade-old world record held by American Bill Collins.
The 200m was her last individual event and she competed at the championships, setting a record of €25.25 in Sheffield in January.
The Brit eased back in 28.35 to a quick but relaxed 25.57 semi-final. In the final he again dominated and this time ran a superb 24.46.
Not only was that time 0.79 off her European record, but it was almost half a second off Collins’ world record of 24.94, set a decade ago.
For good measure, Wright’s time here was slightly faster than his world outdoor record and would again comfortably win M60 gold in the younger age group.
He was followed by Great Britain’s Pat Logan in second place in 26.21, and the following day they combined with White and Tennyson James to take almost two seconds off the European 4x200m record of 1:47.67 to win gold by more than eight seconds.
If he translates this form outdoors, he should break a number of records and be in line for World Masters Athlete of the Year.
Sarah Roberts, the woman who received the honor last year, was also in golden form.
Britain’s W75 was coming back from illness and had a tough schedule as she won five individual, one silver and three team golds.
Then, without further ado, his winning times in the 800m (3:28.80), 1500m (6:59.41) and 3000m (14:09.87) and 5km (24:36) were all outside the world bests he set last year. He won the 6km (36:03) and won team gold medals in that and the 5km and appeared in the W75 medley 4x200m relay world record of 2:22.01. He was also second in the 400m.
M90 Tony Bowman also had a very eventful championship. He won gold in the 60m (12.00), 60m hurdles (21.37), high jump (0.95m) and 200m (45.45) and was second in the triple jump and third in the long jump.
He also won a gold medal in the M80 4x200m relay, competing against athletes as young as ten.
W85 Betty Stracey won three individual golds, winning the 800m (5:41.83), 1500m (10:53.92) and cross-country (52:39), and won W75 team gold alongside Roberts.
Facing stronger opposition than in some of the older age groups, M60 Chris Upson added to his recent titles with wins in the 3000m (10:05.42), 8km cross country (30:39) and 5km (17:34).
Further wins over the 3,000m course went to M65 Dave Clarke (10:32.78) and W80 Pauline Rich (18:50.66). Former senior World Championships competitor Christine Harrison-Bloomfield dominated the W55 60m (8.08) and 200m (26.61).
Caroline Powell won the W70 400m in a European record time of 72.70 and also won the 60m in 9.59 but narrowly missed out on the 200m.
W85 Iris Holder won the 60m (12.86) as well as the European record long jump (2.24m) and triple jump (5.23m). Liz Amos won the W45 200m (26.74) and 400m (60.31) double.
Other 60m wins went to Yvette Henry (8.12) in the 50, Jo Willoughby in the 60 (8.97) and Alan Long (9.50) in the M80. World outdoor champion Andrew Ridley claimed another double gold with fast solo performances in the M60 800m (2:07.63) and 1500m (4:22.97) that were close to the world record despite no opposition or help.
Other middle distance successes were W40 Cian Lewis (2:18.80) and M40 Paul Wright (1:56.15) and W70 Anna Garnier (6:07.50).
Although not recorded as a world record, it looks like Sally Hine (12.05) and Emily McMahon (12.20) have beaten the previous W75 mark.
Multiple world champions and world record holders M55 Joe Appiah (8.53) and M45 Mensah Elliott (8.28) added more titles to their collections. Appiah added to the long jump with a British record of 5.87m.
Carol Filer also doubled up in the hurdles (11.45) and long jump (3.71m) in the W70 category.
World record holder Barry Marsden took M60 gold in 8.97, while hurdles gold was also won by W35 Jess Tappin (9.02) and W65 Susan Frisby (10.19), narrowly beating world record holder Jane Hoarder (10.25).
Stacey Downey dominated the W35 200m (24.85) while Darren Scott just missed out on his European record in the M55 200m (23.88). Tracey Ashworth dominates the W50 400m (61.53).
Martin Lloyd won gold in the M45 high jump (1.95m), while three British athletes won pole vault titles.
They were multi-world record holder W55 Irie Hill (3.00m), W70 Sue Yeomans, who equaled the European record at 2.40m, and Glyn Price (3.60m), who led the M60s.
Caroline Marler, who ran 2:06.9 800m at the 1976 Olympics, won the W75 shot with a throw of 9.66m and the javelin with a throw of 20.61m.
W35 Joe Rowland (13.44m) and M65 Alan Leiper (13.77m) also won shooting gold medals.
Winners in the winter throwing events included M65 John Moreland (48.64m) and M70 Guy Dirkin (40.23m) both in the discus.
Two British walkers won gold medals: W65 Susan Payne (3000m 18:04.07 and 5km road walk 30:32) and former Olympian and now M75 Ian Richards (18:37.19 and 30:47).
Three British women won pentathlon golds with W35 shot winner Rowland (4018), W40 Niabari Rutter (3642) and W70 steeplechase champion Frisby (4070) all showing their all-around skills.
Also outstanding in the 5km road race was M40’s John Craig (15:06). Other titles came in relays or team races.
With three-quarters of last summer’s 4x400m outdoor world record team, the V60 quartet of Julie Hicken, 400m and 800m silver medalist Virginia Mitchell, Vol Odell and Vincent Ely set a world record of 1:52.42.
There was also a world record win for the V35 team, made up of Cathy Lord, 200m champion Downey, Dale Willis and double sprint medalist Byron Robinson, as they won by exactly five seconds in 1:36.44.
The V75s also set a world record and won by seven seconds as McMahon and Roberts teamed up with Bruce Hendry and David Hinds in 2:22.01.
The V70s, including gold medalists Powell and Garnier, combined with Clem Leon and Ian Broadhurst, set a European record of 2:07.71.
In the single-sex relays, there were gold medals for the W35 teams of Lord, Crystal Balogun, Joanna Ryan and Downey in 1:43.44.
The W55 team of Anita Saunders, Juliet Sidney, Popsy Wooten and two-time champion Harrison-Bloomfield set a European record of 1:54.96.
The W70s also won gold in the quartet with Anne Nelson, pole vaulter Yeomans, Nikki Buckwell and Powell again in 2:19.54.
The men’s relay teams won an additional three golds.
The M45 quartet of Oliver Poole, Gavin Stephens, steeplechase champion Elliott and Marc Valliere ran 1:35.80. The aforementioned M65s set a European record of 1:47.67, while the M80s Albert Eland, M90 Bowman, 60m champion Long and James Smith ran 2:43.88.
The team winners were the British W75 Cross-Course and 5km Team led by Roberts, while the W55 Walking Team also took gold.
Despite 80 golds and 189 medals, Britain were well behind a strong Germany (with their obvious geographical advantage as they had 119 golds and 296 medals respectively in the medal table), but they won their battle with hosts Poland to finish second in the medal table.
Many of the recent British world champions or record holders did not make the trip this time, including Stephen Peters, Rob McHarg, Paul Forbes, Kojo Kyerem, Dean Richardson Evan Williams, Paula Williams, Claire Elms, Ellie Stevens, Zoe Doyle and Julia Machin, but it was still the next major British champion. summer
Non-British performances that impressed included world record holders M60 Greek high jumper Georgios Farmakis (1.82m), M55 Polish weightlifter Mariusz Walczak (23.03m), W60 French long jumper Petra Bajet (4.97m) and German M50 shooter Andy Dittmar (18).
UK-based Dutch former 800m outdoor world record holder Andrew Larasen broke the European 1500m mark in 4:14.77 ahead of Britain’s world champion Mark Symes (4:18.22).
Ireland’s Edel Maguire won gold in the W65 60m (9.11), 200m (29.63) and 400m (67.65) and the W60 and V65 medley relay.
Sweden’s Leon Martinez won the M45 60m in 6.95, with world record holder Dwayne Chambers out after finishing as low as third in the semi-finals.
Martinez also won the 200m in 22.66 ahead of British relay stars Poole and Stephens.
Spain’s Manuel Alonso was particularly impressive, setting stunning world records in the M90 800m (3:34.22) and 1500m (7:00.81).
