1975_World_Masters_Athletics_Championships

1975 World Association of Veteran Athletes Championships

1975 World Association of Veteran Athletes Championships

International athletics championship event

43.653611°N 79.584444°W / 43.653611; -79.584444 (Centennial Park Stadium)

Sunnybrook Park
Quick Facts Dates, Host city ...

1975 World Association of Veteran Athletes Championships is the first in a series of World Outdoor Championships (also called World Masters Track and Field Championships).

The first international athletics (track and field) competitions for older athletes had taken place in 1972, when the United States Masters International Track Team (USMITT) and the Canadian Masters International Track Team (CMITT) organized a tour of Europe along with Australian and European athletes. [2]: 18  [3]: 45  [4]: 62  The minimum age limit for this tour was 40 years, all men, with athletes divided into 10-year age groups called Veterans (now called Masters). [4]: 65  This tour was called the "Olympic Tour" since it coincided with the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. [5]

Following the success of this tour, the CMITT organized the first Championships in this series under the sponsorship of Canadian National Exhibition (CNE). [6] [3]: 46  [4]: 145  This inaugural Championships took place in Toronto, Canada, from 11 to 16 August 1975. [7]

The main venue was Centennial Park Stadium in the Etobicoke district of Toronto, [4]: 145  [8]: 73  while Cross Country was held in Sunnybrook Park. [9]

The minimum age limit was 40 years for men and 35 years for women for this first Championships, with age groups of 5-year divisions for men and 10-year divisions for women. [4]: 145  Younger athletes competed in the age group 30-39: Class 0 for men and Class 0W for women.

In meetings at the University of Toronto during the competitions, the World Association of Veteran Athletes (WAVA) was proposed as a governing body to organize future Championships in the series. [4]: 165  [3]: 46  A Local Organising Committee (LOC) would work in coordination with WAVA in running the Championships; the 1975 LOC was CMITT led by Don Farquharson, [10] [1] [4]: 145  [3]: 46  Farquharson would be elected WAVA president during General Assembly at the 1977 Championships. [4]: 166  [3]: 47  [11] WAVA was renamed World Masters Athletics (WMA) at the 2001 Championships in Brisbane, Australia. [12] [13]

In addition to a full range of track and field events, [14] non-stadia events included 10K Cross Country, 25K Race Walk, and Marathon. [4]: 145 

Controversy

The Canadian government attempted to ban South African and Rhodesian athletes due to the apartheid policy of their governments at that time, threatening to withdraw financial support if those athletes participated. [4]: 164  After much discussion, those athletes were allowed to compete as individuals and not as members of the  South Africa national team. A 5-member Yugoslavia team pulled out in protest of the South Africans participation. Anne McKenzie was a notable South African athlete, winning 4 gold medals. [4]: 166 

Results

Past Championships results are archived at WMA. [15] Additional archives are available from Museum of Masters Track & Field [16] as a pdf book. [8]

With over 1,400 individual participants and 5,000 starts, this claimed to be the largest track and field meet ever held in North American to that point in time.[8]

Among the notable performances, Jack Greenwood, Al Guidet, and Theo Orr had 4 victories, and Norm Bright had 3. Bright would suffer a car accident in 1978 that caused near blindness, but he would continue to compete in the Championships at least until 1981. [17]

Results for 1975 are from Museum of Masters Track & Field pdf book unless otherwise noted. [8] World records are indicated by  WR  .

More information Event, Age Group ...

References

  1. [1]
    "Outdoor". World Masters Athletics.
  2. [2]
    Walter Luther (1975). the masters of track and field (PDF). Colban of Canada. ISBN 088966000X.
  3. [3]
    Kusy, Krzysztof; Zieliński, Jacek (January 2006). Parzy, Wiesława (ed.). Masters athletics. Social, biological and practical aspects of veterans sport. Akademia Wychowania Fizycznego w Poznaniu/Poznan University of Physical Education. ISBN 83-88923-69-2 – via ResearchGate.
  4. [4]
    Olson, Leonard T. (Nov 29, 2000). Masters Track and Field: A History. McFarland. ISBN 0786408898.
  5. [5]
    "U.S. Masters Track & Field Championships International Team" (PDF). mastershistory.org. September 28, 1970.
  6. [6]
    "ABOUT US". World Masters Athletics.
  7. [7]
    "WAVA/WMA World Masters Outdoor Championships". MastersHistory.org.
  8. [8]
    "Results of the first World Masters Track and Field Championships" (PDF). Museum of Masters Track & Field.
  9. [9]
    "Toronto 1975 WAVA Championships". WMAToronto2020.
  10. [10]
    world.masters.athletics.org. "WMA HISTORY - World Masters Athletics". Yumpu. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  11. [11]
    "World Masters Championships Track and Field August 8-13 1977 Slottsskogsvallen Gothenburg Sweden" (PDF). Museum of Masters Track & Field. p. 2.
  12. [12]
    "Outline and History of WAVA/WMA". Oceania Masters Athletics. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  13. [13]
    "WORLD MASTERS (VETERANS) CHAMPIONSHIPS (MEN)". gbrathletics.com. Athletics Weekly. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  14. [14]
    Martin Gasselsberger. "WMA World Masters Athletics RULES OF COMPETITION". Masters Athletics.
  15. [15]
    "Championships Outdoor". World Masters Athletics. Retrieved 2022-01-03.
  16. [16]
    "Results: World Outdoor Championships, Other Internationals". Museum of Masters Track & Field. Retrieved 2022-01-03.
  17. [17]
    "The World Association of Veteran Athletes Newsletter 4" (PDF). Museum of Masters Track & Field. World Association of Veteran Athletes. March 1981.
  18. [18]
    Riël Hauman (July 30, 2014). "Obituary For South African Masters Legend Anne McKenzie Who Has Died At 88". Race Results Weekly.
  19. [19]
    Duncan MacLean was nicknamed "the Tartan Flash"
  20. [20]
    Robert Boal was spelled R.S. Boal in the results
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