 By FRANK HARRISON
CONGRATULATIONS to the SHORE AC! CONGRATULATIONS to ELLIOTT DENMAN! The highlight of my own career was wearing a Shore AC singlet in Los Angeles in 1984 when competing at the US Olympic Trials where I gave it a go to qualify for the US Team in the Decathlon. That effort fell short; however. But the sport of track and field propelled me through high school, through the University of Pennsylvania; took me all over the world, and directly led me to my wife (now of 34 years, and counting). It also provided me with the tools needed to become CEO of my company. Today, I enjoy volunteer coaching and giving back to the sport that has meant so much to me. So many wonderful experiences, and so many wonderful people! No politics or favoritism in making a team. Just a stopwatch or a tape measure in a sport where there’s a level of competition and an event for everyone, and one where personal records are as gratifying as anything else. What could possibly be better than that? Elliott Denman is the glue that keeps us all together. His legacy is unrivaled, and I consider myself extremely blessed to have come across him and, of course, his love for the Shore AC, arguably the greatest track club on the planet! Elliott, you’re the best! Thank you for your passion and for being the greatest ambassador the sport has ever known. Happy 85th - we wish you many more happy returns! - Frank and Beth Harrison
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 Ajeé Wilson en route last February to an American Indoor Record during the Jack & Lewis Rudin Women’s 800m at the 112th NYRR Millrose Games at The Armory. Photo by John Nepolitan NEW YORK, November 5, 2019 – The Armory Indoor Track & Field Camp takes place on November 16 at The Armory New Balance Track & Field Center and provides high school track & field athletes an experience of a lifetime. Track & field superstars Ajeé Wilson (current outdoor and indoor American record holder in the 800m), Sydney McLaughlin (at the age of 16 qualified for 2016 Olympics and is considered “face of USA Track & Field” as premier sprinter, hurdler), Drew Hunter (in 2016 at The Armory became national record holder in the high school indoor mile with a 3:58.25), Lawrence Johnson (American indoor record holder in pole vault, World Champion, Olympic silver medalist and 7-time U.S. champion) and others will join prominent coaches in the sport to offer high school students unsurpassed instruction. “I’m super excited to spend the day sharing my experiences and hearing about theirs,” Wilson said about her role being an instructor to high school track & field student-athletes. Other current track & field athlete who will be “coach for a day” at the upcoming Armory Indoor Track & Field camp include: Najee Glass (16-time NCAA All-American at the University of Florida); Athing Mu (current high school senior who broke the American 600m record at the 2019 USA Track & Field Indoor Championships with a 1:23.57); Strymar Livingston (in high school set indoor national records in both the 500m and 600m); Oliver Baker (11-time All-American at Stanford who just missed making the 2019 World Championship team in the 800m); Robin Reynolds (16-time All-American at the University of Florida); Thomas Johnson (noted New York High School champion in both long and triple jump and a 2-time state champion); Priscilla Frederick (competed in 2016 Olympics in the high jump and a silver medalist in the Pan American Games and 2-time All-American at St. John’s University); and Amina Smith (All-American at the University of Maryland in the high jump). They will join current award-winning coaches Lisa Morgan (current head track & field coach at Bloomfield College, N.J.); Andy Capellan (head track & field coach at New Rochelle High School); Dwayne Evans (track & field coach for Team Jamaica); Bart Sessa, (who from 1996-2006 guided the Syosset boys team to 10 consecutive Section 8 cross country championships); Dominic Zanot (track & field coach at Harrison High School); Scott Menin, (the current head throw coach for AOC, an AAU club team in Pennsylvania); Tim St. Lawrence, (Director of acclaimed Hudson Valley Flying Circus in Orange County); and Matt Ellis (owner of Primal Athlete Training Center and Elite Throws Coaching in Rhode Island). Last season, Wilson set the American indoor record in the 800m in 1:58.60 to win the Jack & Lewis Rudin Women’s 800m in the 112th NYRR Millrose Games at The Armory. In less than two weeks the New Jersey native will return to The Armory – her home away from home – this time as a top-flight track & field instructor. It’s not every day students have a teacher who happens to be an American record holder and Olympian while your classroom is The Armory, home to the “Fastest Track in the World.” Wilson recently took time off the track for an interview with The Armory. Following is a question and answer session with Ajeé Wilson: QUESTION: At what age did you know you could excel in track & field en route to a professional career, and how did you come to this conclusion? WILSON: “I started believing I could really excel in track the summer after my sophomore year, so at 16. I’d made my first national team and placed 5th at the World Junior Championships in Moncton, Canada that year. Up until this point, track was still very much a hobby – something I loved to do because it was fun, and I loved competing. At Worlds, I saw how different my peers were in comparison. I didn’t think I trained as hard, I wasn’t as disciplined, and I wasn’t as invested in what I was doing. I walked away thinking about how much better I’d be if I applied myself in the same ways they did. I wanted to come back in two years and win.” QUESTION: During the upcoming camp what will be the most important thing you can tell high school kids about being a success and at the same time keep their participation in track & field stress free, whether it’s simply in high school or perhaps beyond? WILSON: “I think the most important take away will be there’s no cookie cutter path to success, and more importantly it’s okay to fail along the way. For me, I have my parents to thank for the outlook I have on success in track, and in any aspect of my life really. Success in track drives me, but it doesn’t define me. Being ‘good at running’ isn’t my biggest strength/attribute. The greatest thing I must give/contribute to people and the world isn’t my talent on the track. Track is simply the medium through which I can show those things. Remembering that doesn’t make me any less committed to what I’m doing, but it helps me balance the stresses, ups, and downs that come with running.” QUESTION: When you were in high school, how much focus did you have on training, nutrition, maintaining a high academic standard and enjoying life as a teenager? WILSON: “When I was in high school, my academics were my top priority. When needed, I’d miss practices for studying for big tests or skip other extracurriculars for important school projects. As for track and training, I got more focused as I got older, but it was a slow process. My parents helped largely with helping that shift. I ate well when I was home but wasn’t as good as I am now at curbing my love of candy and other sweet treats. With training, I laugh looking back on how my mom would park across the street to make sure I was doing what I was supposed to at practices. Enjoying life without the tag of runner was just as important to me then as it is now. Balance is so important with anything you do in life, so I somehow always found time to hang out with friends, was in a handful of clubs, and work at some points.” QUESTION: What does it mean for you to come back to The Armory, where you’ve been so successful, and give advice to high school runners? WILSON: “It’s so special to come back to The Armory to give advice to high school students. For one, it doesn’t feel this long since I was in the same position. I remember college students coming back and talking to us in high school, and how it affected me. So, I’m excited to be in the similar position and hopefully have a similar impact.” QUESTION: Who was the person who gave you the best advice when you were in high school and what was that advice? And, was there a track & field athlete who you looked up to that gave you extra motivation? WILSON: “Hands down I’d say my mom gave me the best advice in high school, although I can’t really pinpoint exact words or anecdotes that stuck with me. Instead, I just remember how she made me feel. She advised/taught me that I could get what I wanted in life by figuring out how, and then being committed to getting to that goal. Cut and dry – no excuses. The saying `Where there’s a will, there’s a way’ I think captures the sentiment best. To this day, whenever I’m faced with a tough decision, conflict, or have a goal I want to attain I think `what’s the solution?’ I figure out the best way to get the outcome that I want, and then I commit. When you’re committed to the end goal, finding ways to overcome speed bumps or obstacles that come along the way is just a tad bit easier. There are many ways to get where you want to go. You just need to figure it out. “In high school, there were a handful of athletes I looked up to who inspired me. Many of whom were also in high school. I’d say I most looked up to Jillian Smith, who was an 800/miler from Southern regional though. She was the queen of the track when I first started high school, and I’d raced her a few times and admired how effortless it seemed to be for her. By my senior year, I wanted to be just as dominant in the state as she was.” QUESTION: What are your goals for 2020? WILSON: “I’m still working on my list of goals for 2020! Off season is coming to an end, so I’ve been thinking more and more about what I want to accomplish this year. On the track, my main goal is to be happy, healthy, and fast for 2020! Hopefully by the end of the season, that will involve being Olympic medalist (preferably gold). Off the track, I want to pick up a new hobby – I’m leaning towards learning how to sew!” To register and learn more about The Armory Indoor Track, please go to www.armorycamp.org. To see the full list of coaches and their bios for the 2019 Armory Indoor Track & Field camp, please go to www.armorycamp.org/coaches. Follow The Armory on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @armorynyc, or go to ArmoryTrack.com or Armory.NYC. About The Armory Foundation The Armory is a New York City non-profit institution, with the mission of "Keeping Kids on Track." Each season The Armory— the proud home of the NYRR Millrose Games — hosts more than 100 track & field meets and welcomes more than 220,000 athlete visits. Among its many youth sports and educational programs, including the acclaimed Armory College Prep program, The Armory runs the leading collegiate indoor track meet with the Dr. Sander Invitational, and hosts the largest high school indoor track meets with this year's 25th Hispanic Games, The New Balance Games, and the New Balance Nationals Indoors. The Armory also runs Columbia & NewYork – Presbyterian Indoor Marathon presented by New York Road Runners, which is the world’s largest indoor marathon relay. The Armory is also the home to the National Track & Field Hall of Fame and dozens of very large education-focused events. For more: Please visit Armory.NYC and ArmoryTrack.com.  Wayne baker has had the chance to put Johnny Hayes' medal into the hands of quite a few runners.11/13/2019 Dear Teammates and Friends:
With a history dating back to 1934, we are forever proud to be known as one of the longest-running clubs still actively promoting track and field, and total community participation in“the flagship sport of the Olympic Games,” in our nation. Shore AC has so many reasons to express its pride. It annually stages at least 50 events, ranging from the Jersey Shore Half-Marathon, to the New Jersey International Track and Field Meet, to the Asbury Sheehan 5K Classic, to the Asbury Park Polar Bear Races, to the classic summer-long Takanassee Lake Races, to its own series of all-comers track and field meets during the summer, to its pair of cross country series for adults and for youngsters in the fall, and lots more. These involve many thousands of participants, men and women, boys and girls, on all levels of talent and expertise. But that’s just part of the Shore AC story. When Eulace Peacock twice beat Jesse Owens in the 1935 National AAU Championships, he did it representing the Shore AC. When Shore AC member Barbara Friedrich set a national javelin record in 1967 it was, all at once, a best-ever for Senior women, Junior girls and high school athletes. When our men’s 4x400 team won in 3:03.64 at the 1990 Penn Relays, it was an all-time best for club teams at the famed Penn Carnival. When Eulace Peacock, John Borican and Maren Seidler were voted into the National Track and Field Hall of Fame, they did so as proud Shore AC athletes. When now 10-time National champion, USA record-holder and Olympian Ajee’ Wilson ran some of her earliest races, they were in our Shore AC all-comers meets. And so – etc. etc. etc. - it has gone all these years. Elliott Denman’s own history also dates back to 1934. A 1956 USA Olympian in the 50K (31-mile) racewalk, he became a founding father of the “new” Shore AC in the early 1960s, starting with an historic organizational meeting at the Asbury Park YMCA (in the company of such charter members as Don Johnson, Sandy Kalb, Harry Nolan and Tom Bazley; along with Mr. Bill Dalton and Mr. George Slater), then helping guide the club to so many successes and major achievements over the years. And all the while with his parallel career as an award-winning Asbury Park Press sports writer and columnist who covered virtually every major event in the sports spectrum. And he’s still an active sports journalist all these years later. So many more marvelous and energetic people have “come aboard” in all the years since. All this being so, it’s time for us to celebrate with Elliott and his family, teammates and sports friends. “85” is thus the theme for our Gala Reunion and Birthday Party on Sunday, November 24, 2019, at McLoone’s Pier House, One Ocean Avenue, in Long Branch, NJ. This will be a very special event. Please join us !! Most sincerely, Walter MacGowan, President, Shore AC.  Jessica Abbott of Toms River sweeps the course earning the gold at the NJ Junior Olympics Cross Country Championship! Kudos to Jessica for another stellar performance and triumph! A shout out to Jess's coach, Bob Andrews of Manalapan (featured in picture) for leading our youth team and initiatives!
Neither steady rain nor driving wind stayed competitors from completing their appointed rounds in the Jersey Shore Running Club's 21st annual Trick or Treat Four-Mile Race through Deal on Sunday morning, October 27th.
Jeff Propert of Wall led all the runners with a clocking of 23:42.7 in the difficult conditions. Second runner over the line was the women's champion, Dactilia Booth of Long Branch, clocked in 25:52.6. Running 2-3 in the men's division were Ted Macconchie of Seaside Heights (26:18) and Kevin Fister of West Long Branch (27:23); the 2-3 women were Christine Patla of Aberdeen (30:13) and Lynne Grainger of Stockport, England (31:52.) The Harry Drazin Memorial Racewalk was held as a division of the race and top honors went to Judy Cocce of Spring Lake, the women's and over-all champion in 46:44, and Bob Hayes of Ocean Township, the men's winner in 56:50. Placing 2-3-4 over-all and in the women's division were Linda Reeves of Interlaken (50:44), Barbara Hammond of Wall (57:35) and Kathie Politan of Brick (1:02:55.) The racewalkers again honored the memory of the celebrated Harry Drazin, the late Interlaken resident and Shore Athletic Club Hall of Famer, who competed in races all over the world and was a famed example of lifetime fitness excellence. He completed many marathon and 50K events in an illustrious career that saw him maintaining renowned fitness through his 100th year. ### By ELLIOTT DENMAN
DOHA, QATAR - On further review, there will be no further review. All returns are now officially in. The 17th World Championships of Track and Field have officially been put in the books. Forty-nine events were staged, 24 for men, 24 for women, one for both - the brand new mixed 4x400 relay (with two male and two female teammates.) And the unanimous winner of the "greatest event they did here," award - as I am formally confirming herewith - was the Saturday night men's shot put. Details forthcoming shortly. Please read on. Forty-three Worlds events were staged at the elegant Khalifa International Stadium, which thanks to its innovative/ingenious installation of cool-air blowers all over the place, was not hugely hot throughout as the rest of Doha surely was, but was downright cool at times. Stadium-goers, once they understood what they were getting into, started donning second layers of clothing to beat off the chill. Six other events were relegated to the Corniche park area of town, and they weren't air-cooled at all. Five of them turned into visits to the sauna as their participants fought through the steam best they could, knowing fully that winning times in these events had no way of avoiding relegation to the "slowest ever" list in World Championships history. Only the men's marathon, which started a few ticks before midnight of the final Saturday, and finished in the wee-small hours of Sunday. somehow avoided the worst of the Persian Gulf area temps. Somehow, these guys ran brilliant races in pretty brilliant times. Two-time Boston and 2018 New York City Marathon champion Lelisa Desisa won it all for Ethiopia in the pretty-darn good time of 2:10:40. Even the 55th and final finisher, Nicholas Cuesta of Uruguay, ran a pretty decent one, too, 2:40:05. But the five other events, women's marathon, and the double pairings of men's and women's 20 and 50-kilometer racewalks, were brutal exercises in survival technique. Amazingly, no one in them suffered major damage. And now we take you back to Khalifa International Stadium, 20:05 p.m. Saturday. Twelve burly gentlemen approached the ring to have it out, three Americans, two New Zealanders, and the lone muscular delegates of Brazil, Poland, Nigeria, Canada, Czech Republic, Croatia and Serbia. The Serbian, Armin Sinancevic, was sent out after three fouled efforts. Croatia's (and U. of Virginia's) Filip Mihaljevic, Czech Republic's Tomas Stanek and Canada's (and DePaul U.'s) Tim Nenow fell short with their first three tosses, too. Goodbye. guys. And now the highest-stakes battle was really on. Team NZ's Tom Walsh had fired the first salvo, a 22.90 in the opening round, fourth best all-time. As Nigeria's Chukwuebka "just call me Chuck' Enekwechi (of Francis Lewis HS, Queens, NYC, and Purdue University), NZ's Jacko Gill (making a remarkable comeback after cardiac difficulties), Poland's Konrad Bukowiecki and USA's Dorrell Hill (of Penn State U.) were coming up a bit shy, as well, the battle of the Big Berthas was fully on. Brazil's Darian Romani heaved one 22.53 in round two to put him squarely in the podium mix. All USA'S Joe Kovac (another Penn Stater) could do now was get off the longest throw of an already distinguished career that included the 2015 Worlds title and the 2016 Olympic silver medal. It plunked into the soft Khalifa turf at 22.91, putting him in gold medal position with the equal third best on the all-tiime list. But gutsy USA's (and U. of Texas's) Ryan Crouser, the reigning Olympic champion, wasn't out of this thing yet, either. Poised and ready, he let if fly. And it landed 22.90 away, a single silly centimeter behind Kovacs and equal to Walsh's big first-rounder, but good enough for the silver because his second-best of 22.71 topped Walsh's next best of 22.56. The place - as the IAAF itself accurately put it - 'exploded into life' with all these back-forth-back dramatics. It was one ''wow' after another, and another. All three medalists now rank in their sport's all-time top seven, and continue to have their eyes on the 29-year-old world record of 23.12 set by USA's/ West Virginia's/ Texas A&M's Randy Barnes, before they were born. Of course, Barnes was later tossed from the sport on drug charges and the 23.12 remains questionable to some purists. "I am proud that I was able to stay in my own head and not watch Ryan and Tom throw so far,' said Kovacs. 'i'm honored just to be part of it,' said Crouser. And I was honored to be sitting in Row 21 of the Media Tribune on this special night to see it all go down. So to repeat - put it in the books as the Moment of All Moments at the 17th Worlds. And sure to be long remembered. #### By ELLIOTT DENMAN DOHA, QATAR - On further review, there will be no further review. All returns are now officially in. The 17th World Championships of Track and Field have officially been put in the books. Forty-nine events were staged, 24 for men, 24 for women, one for both - the brand new mixed 4x400 relay (with two male and two female teammates.) And the unanimous winner of the "greatest event they did here," award - as I am formally confirming herewith - was the Saturday night men's shot put. Details forthcoming shortly. Please read on. Forty-three Worlds events were staged at the elegant Khalifa International Stadium, which thanks to its innovative/ingenious installation of cool-air blowers all over the place, was not hugely hot throughout as the rest of Doha surely was, but was downright cool at times. Stadium-goers, once they understood what they were getting into, started donning second layers of clothing to beat off the chill. Six other events were relegated to the Corniche park area of town, and they weren't air-cooled at all. Five of them turned into visits to the sauna as their participants fought through the steam best they could, knowing fully that winning times in these events had no way of avoiding relegation to the "slowest ever" list in World Championships history. Only the men's marathon, which started a few ticks before midnight of the final Saturday, and finished in the wee-small hours of Sunday. somehow avoided the worst of the Persian Gulf area temps. Somehow, these guys ran brilliant races in pretty brilliant times. Two-time Boston and 2018 New York City Marathon champion Lelisa Desisa won it all for Ethiopia in the pretty-darn good time of 2:10:40. Even the 55th and final finisher, Nicholas Cuesta of Uruguay, ran a pretty decent one, too, 2:40:05. But the five other events, women's marathon, and the double pairings of men's and women's 20 and 50-kilometer racewalks, were brutal exercises in survival technique. Amazingly, no one in them suffered major damage. And now we take you back to Khalifa International Stadium, 20:05 p.m. Saturday. Twelve burly gentlemen approached the ring to have it out, three Americans, two New Zealanders, and the lone muscular delegates of Brazil, Poland, Nigeria, Canada, Czech Republic, Croatia and Serbia. The Serbian, Armin Sinancevic, was sent out after three fouled efforts. Croatia's (and U. of Virginia's) Filip Mihaljevic, Czech Republic's Tomas Stanek and Canada's (and DePaul U.'s) Tim Nenow fell short with their first three tosses, too. Goodbye. guys. And now the highest-stakes battle was really on. Team NZ's Tom Walsh had fired the first salvo, a 22.90 in the opening round, fourth best all-time. As Nigeria's Chukwuebka "just call me Chuck' Enekwechi (of Francis Lewis HS, Queens, NYC, and Purdue University), NZ's Jacko Gill (making a remarkable comeback after cardiac difficulties), Poland's Konrad Bukowiecki and USA's Dorrell Hill (of Penn State U.) were coming up a bit shy, as well, the battle of the Big Berthas was fully on. Brazil's Darian Romani heaved one 22.53 in round two to put him squarely in the podium mix. All USA'S Joe Kovac (another Penn Stater) could do now was get off the longest throw of an already distinguished career that included the 2015 Worlds title and the 2016 Olympic silver medal. It plunked into the soft Khalifa turf at 22.91, putting him in gold medal position with the equal third best on the all-tiime list. But gutsy USA's (and U. of Texas's) Ryan Crouser, the reigning Olympic champion, wasn't out of this thing yet, either. Poised and ready, he let if fly. And it landed 22.90 away, a single silly centimeter behind Kovacs and equal to Walsh's big first-rounder, but good enough for the silver because his second-best of 22.71 topped Walsh's next best of 22.56. The place - as the IAAF itself accurately put it - 'exploded into life' with all these back-forth-back dramatics. It was one ''wow' after another, and another. All three medalists now rank in their sport's all-time top seven, and continue to have their eyes on the 29-year-old world record of 23.12 set by USA's/ West Virginia's/ Texas A&M's Randy Barnes, before they were born. Of course, Barnes was later tossed from the sport on drug charges and the 23.12 remains questionable to some purists. "I am proud that I was able to stay in my own head and not watch Ryan and Tom throw so far,' said Kovacs. 'i'm honored just to be part of it,' said Crouser. And I was honored to be sitting in Row 21 of the Media Tribune on this special night to see it all go down. So to repeat - put it in the books as the Moment of All Moments at the 17th Worlds. And sure to be long remembered. ####  BY ELLIOTT DENMAN
Friday, October 4, 2019, at Khalifa International Stadium, Doha, Qatar - Day 8 of the 10-day 17th World Championships of Track and Field - put it in the put it in the books as one of the greatest of all days in the annals of the sport. You had to be there to appreciate it all - as I was fortunate enough to do. From 8:15 p.m. to 10:20, fans - and for one of the few times at these Worlds, the stadium was virually full - got to experience one dazzlement after another, one brilliant achievement, one great competition, after another, another, another. If all these happenings didn't make you a big-time enthusiast of the sport - which continues to be the Flagship Sport of the Olympic Games, no matter what all those swimming and gymnastics and basketball partisans tell you - it's never going to happen. This was as good as it gets, or may ever. First, the men's high men's high jump, featuring Qatar's home-grown hero, Mutaz Essa Barshim. Let us remind you that for 26 years many humans - after the first and only to do it, Javier Sotomayor of Cuba - have been trying to leap skyward and arch their bodies over a high jump bar set over eight foot high. Just one man in that era - Barshim - has come as close as two little centimeters to that mark. A very tall and very thin 28-year-old, Barshim had endured his share of injuries the past two years and was not at his best at this biggest meet ever held in his homeland. But with the Worlds in his backyard, he was not about to disappoint his fans. And on this day they included no less than the Amir, H.H. Sheikh Tamin bin Hamad Al Thani. It didn't look good for Barshim when he missed his first two attempts at 2.33 meters, which three others cleared. But Barshim was not about to disappoint anyone here, not willing to settle for anything but hometown gold. Sure enough, he rallied his nerves, stretched his angular body to its limit and cleared 2.33 on third attempt, as the Amir and all others in this sparkling edifice breathed collective sighs of relief. That done, he soared 2.35 and 2.37 as all three of his still-in-it rivals sent the crossbar crashing down into the pit. There was instant delight in Doha for one of the greatest rallies in the annals of high jumping. Or any event in the sport. From far out on the brink, he climbed back to the top of his hometown podium. As he later put it, "it was a dream." The big-time show kept moving right along. Next, to the discus circle, which Sandra Petrovic has has ruled as her personal property for years, claiming two Olympic, two World and five European titles in this art of spinning the platter high and far. She is such a celebrity in Croatia that she has been elected to Parliament. Well, this day, she was both outthrown and outvoted by the delegation from Cuba, Yaime Perez and Denia Cabbalero. There were no calls for a recount. Results stood, Perez 69.17, Caballero 68.44, Perkovic 66.72. The Croatian icon sportingly accepted her relegation to bronze. On to the women's 400-meter hurdles, an event New Jerseyans have loved to embrace through the brilliant efforts of Union Catholic HS alumna Sydney McLaughlin, and some New Yorkers appreciate, too. via the talents of Dalilah Muhammad, a grad of Queens' Benjamin Cardozo HS. Muahammad came to Doha as reigning Olympic champion and world record-holder (52.20.) McLaughlin came to Doha as heir apparent. Muhammad simply ran the greatest race of her life to lower the world record to 52.16. McLaughlin simply ran the second-best time in world history, 52.23, for the silver. McLaughlin will simply have to wait till the day she rules this event on her own - which many predict will not be far off. Back to the track now, for the men's 3000-meter steeplechase final. The event has been a Kenyan monopoly for eons - with nine straight Olympic firsts and 11 of the last 13; to go along with six consecutive World Championship wins, and firsts in 13 of the total 16 Worlds 'chase finals, 1987-2017 Kenyans even went 1-2-3-4 at the 2015 Worlds in Beijing. Could anything like that happen again? Ethiopia's Lamecha Girma obviously thought so. Morocco's Soufiane El Bakkali likewise, They beat out a quick pace. The top Kenyan, Consensius Kipruto, Worlds champion in 2017 and silver medalist in 2015 and 2013, again came in as the consensus choice, but knew this one could have a very different result. Would the Kenyan reign sustain? It would not unless he "doug down" deeper than he'd ever before in his distinguished career, unless he somehow, in absolute desperation, found a final burst of energy when it seemed he just might be ready to concede. Sure enough, Consensius did not concede. His desperation final-stride lunge over the finish line got him the gold - and the continuation of his nation's mind-boggling monopoly, Has there ever been a steeplechase race closer than this one - Kipruto 8:01.35, Girma 8:01.36? Could there ever be? Finally, the men's 400 meters. All week, Stevie Gardiner had been reminding the world how battered, how beleaguered, his home island of Abaco in the Bahamas had been by Hurricane Dorian. Well, he got to remind the world once again Friday night because the world wanted to know his story, how he'd been able to continue training (at his Florida home base), as he'd feared the worst for his family back on Abaco, as he couldn't hear from them for days, how his greatest wish was to bring some joy back to his family and home nation. His teammate, Shaunae Miller-Uibo, had tried her darndest to do the very same the night before, but had settle for second-place and silver in the women's 400 final. Somehow, Steve Gardiner remained totally focused, totally confident "he could win this thing." Did he ever. Leaving a pack of major-league challengers far back, he sped to the 400 gold in 43.48, fastest time of his life, moving himself up to sixth on the all-time charts. Runner-up Anthony Jose Zambrano of Colombia and bronze placer Fred Kerley of USA simply had no chance. This was Stevie's day. And Mutaz Essa's day, and Yaime's day, and Dalihah's day, and Consensius's day. Can there ever be another such day in the sport? Most unlikely. Then again, the improbabilities of it all are another of track and field's special beauties. #### 20-KILOMETER RACE WALK
BY ELLIOTT DENMAN DOHA, QATAR - Maria Michta-Coffey is a brilliant young woman. The 33-year-old Long Islander is a post-doctoral student in microbiology sciences at Touro College after graduation as valedictorian at Long Island University's CW Post College. She'll be happy to regale you about such matters as '"Hepatitis C virus cell entry determinants of occludin," her Ph.D. thesis subject. A 22nd-placer at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games and an inductee into her Suffolk County (New York) Sports Hall of Fame, she is also the greatest American female racewalker of this century with more USATF National titles to her credit than any contemporary. Who knew that when she won the USATF 40-kilometer title all those years ago, in a race hosted by Shore AC at Ocean Township's Joe Palaia Park in New Jersey, that the list would grow and grow, and grow and grow. Well, she's still doing exemplary things. Perfect example; the women's 20K racewalk final here in Doha, at the 17th World Championships of Track and Field. Understand that even in the most ideal circumstances, she'd never have been a candidate to walk off with a medal. Team USA's racewalkers, male and female, have a long-long way to go before catching up to the rest of the world - specially so in places like China, Russia, Spain, Mexico, Italy, Sweden, France, Japan, Colombia and Australia, where they give their racewalkers worlds of more support and encouragement. But 'MMC' was out there - ''carrying the flag'' for her nation and doing all she could to keep America at least in the racewalking mix. In perhaps the weirdest conditions ever for a 20K race of this magnitude - the event went off at a minute before midnight Sunday - and finished in the wee-small second hour of Tuesday - this lone American entry placed a courageous 35th place with a clocking of 1;46;02. Scene of all this was the Corniche Park area - where all the road events, marathon runs as well as racewalks - are booked for the middle-of-the-night in the attempt to beat the heat and the steam of this Persian Gulf nation. These attempts have all been in vain. The heat and the steam continue proving unbeatable. Winning times in these road events continue setting 'slowest ever' records for the World Championships. Three outstanding athletes from China - Hong Liu (1;32;53), Shenjie Gieyang (1;33;10) and Liujing Yang (1;33;17) prevailed over Brazil's Erica Rocha De Sena (1;33;36) to sweep all the medals. Somehow, someway, 39 of the 45 original starters managed to finish this thing. Just a few months ago, "MMC' would have been the longest of long shots just to be here. You see, Maria and husband Joe Coffey welcomed daughter Llliiana to the world this spring. On minimum post-partum training time, she still managed to get back into World Championships-level form. A 2018 pre-Lilliana qualifying time proved her ticket to Doha. "The female body is an amazing thing,'' she told you after crossing the finish line. Anyone beyond the 'birds and the bees' stage of his/her own educational progress, should, of course, be aware of all these amazements. Two-time 20K Olympian ''MMC' - and yes, hoping to make it three by Tokyo time - provided another reminder here - 'just in case.'' |
AuthorShore AC Archives
November 2019
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