USA To Compete For Gold At Lyon, France World Masters Track Championships Aug. 4-16, USA Team Has 426 Athletes

Meet has 8,078 competitors from record 98 nations, athletes ages 35-99

News provided by

Robert Weiner Associates and USATF National Masters Media Committee

Aug 01, 2015, 02:51 ET

LYON, France, Aug. 1, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The USA is sending 426 athletes including many of the world's best to the World Masters Athletics (WMA) outdoor track & field championships August 4-16 in Lyon, France.  The team is expected to be among the top contenders both for individual and relay titles, as well as for Gold and overall medal counts by country. The meet has 8,078 competitors from a record 98 nations with athletes 35-99 years old. The American team has 1093 event entries for the 426 athletes.

At the 2014 WMA Indoor Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Americans won 23 golds including relays.  A third of entered Americans won medals.  No other nation came close to the US Gold or overall total of 59 medals, including 21 Silver and 15 Bronze.

At the 2013 WMA Outdoor Championships in Porto Allegre, Brazil, the USA won the Gold Count, with 83.  Among the 58 countries, Americans were second in overall medals, with 183 against 195 from host country Brazil.  Australia was third with 148.

In Lyon, track and field including throwing competition is spread among four stadiums: Balmont, Rhone, Pierre Duboeuf, and Laurent Gerin, in addition to non-stadia events. The Marathon bases at the Place Dellecour in the "center city".  Athletes will be referring to the meet website and program to see where their events are scheduled.

As in USATF masters championships, athletes are subject to drug testing, in this case under WMA procedures.  The prohibited list is published by WADA (the World Anti-Doping Agency), which identifies "prohibited substances and methods" but notes that "related" substances are also prohibited.

There will be an all-WMA Athletes Party on August 12, and a day of non-competition August 13 for the WMA General Assembly. The US Delegation and team in Lyon will be led by MTF Chair Gary Snyder.

The daily event schedule is at: https://www.lyon2015.com/en/programme/schedule/

Full list of USA Team athlete entries from team manager Phil Greenwald compiled by name, city, affiliation, best marks for events: http://www.weinerpublic.com/20150723.xlsx. As at previous championships, the team will have a daily meeting.

US and International media coverage is welcome for US athletes – contact USATF National Masters Media Chair Bob Weiner before and during the meet at [email protected] and cell 202-329-1700.  MEDIA CHECK-IN at Media Center, BELMONT STADIUM (the main stadium) 4 Rue Victor Schoelcher, Lyon.

Top US Athletes entered (charts from Mary Trotto, MTF Awards Chair, provided at close of entries) include:

Top WOMEN competing at WMA

Lyon France 2015 Aug 4-16th



Name

LAST

CLUB/STATE

EVENTS

AGE

Records: World & American Defending Champion & Awards in 2014

Irene

Obera

West Valley Track Club

100, 200m,400m, 80m hurdles, long jump, 200m Long Hurdles

80-84

Jesse Owens Master athlete of the Year 2014,

6 WORLD RECORDS & 7 American Records in 2014

2014 Defending Champion 100,200, 400,Short and Long Hurdles, LJ

Florence

Meiler

Mass Velocity Track Club

200m, 60m hurdles, pole vault, triple jump, super weight throw, pentathlon

80-84

MTF AGE GROUP ATHLETE OF THE YEAR 2014

2 WORLD RECORDS & 7 American Records 2014

2014 Defending Champion PV, HJ,TJ

Shot, DT, HT, WT

Christel

Donley

Colorado Masters Track & Field Club

60m Hurdles, high, triple jump, shot, weight throw

80-84

MTF AGE GROUP ATHELTE OF THE YEAR 2014

2014 Defending Champion HJ, LJ, TJ, SHOT,HT

Carol

Finsrud

Texas

Shot Put, Weight, Hammer, Discus, Throws Pent.

55-59

MTF AGE GROUP ATHELTE OF THE YEAR 2014

2014 Defending Champion Shot, DT, WT

Rita

Hanscom

California

80m hurdles, 300m Long Hurdles, high, long jumps, pole vault, heptathlon,

60-64

MTF AGE GROUP ATHELTE OF THE YEAR 2014

2014 Defending Champion Short and Long hurdles, Pentathlon

LaTricia

Dendy

NY.

400m,

45-49

2014 Defending Champion 400m

Brenda

Matthews

SC Striders

100, 200, LJ, 80m Short Hurdles

65-69

2014 Defending Champion 100, 200m, Short Hurdles, LJ

Jean

Daprano

Georgia

100, 200, 400, 800, 1500m

75-79

2014 Defending Champion 100,200,400,

800, 1500m

Joy

Upshaw

California

Short Hurdles, LJ, 100m

50-54

MTF AGE GROUP ATHLETE OF THE YEAR 2014

Defending WMA indoor champion Short Hurdles, 200

Linda

Cohn

SC striders

Javelin, Triple Jump

60-65

MTF AGE GROUP ATHLETE OF THE YEAR 2014

2014 Defending Champion Javelin, Triple Jump

Top MEN competing at WMA

Lyon France 2015 Aug 4-16th

Name

LAST

CLUB/STATE

EVENTS

AGE

Records: World & American Defending Champion & Awards in 2014

Robert

Lida

Houston Elite

100m, 200, 400m

75-79

MTF AGE GROUP ATHLETE OF THE YEAR 2014

1 WORLD RECORD & 1 American Record 2014

2014 Defending Champion 100, 200m

Brian

Coushay

100m, LJ, Decathlon

50-54

MTF AGE GROUP ATHLETE OF THE YEAR 2014

Damon

Blakemore

Houston Elite

60m Hurdles, long jump

50-54

MTF AGE GROUP ATHELTE OF THE YEAR

1 AMERICAN RECORD

William

Jankovich

60m, 200,400,60m hurdles, high, long jumps, pole vault, shot, pent.

80-84

MTF AGE GROUP ATHELTE OF THE YEAR

1 AMERICAN RECORD

Bruce

McBarnette

Potomac Valley Track Club

Triple Jump, high jump

55-59

MTF AGE GROUP ATHELTE OF THE YEAR

1 AMERICAN RECORD

2014 Defending Champion HJ (note: Bruce has won eleven HJ world championships outdoor and indoor)

Thad

Wilson

Short and Long Hurdles,

60-64

2014 Defending Champion Short and Long Hurdles & WMA Indoor 60mHurdle Champion

Antwon

Dussett

400m

35-39

2014 Defending Champion 200,400m

John

Goldhammer

Hammer, Weight Throw, Shot, Throws Pent.

60-64

2014 Defending Champion Hammer & Weight Throw




Athletes who earned Gold at the 2013 Outdoor WMA Championships BRAZIL

FOR THE MEN USA Athletes (by events)

Event

AGE Group

Name


Babatunde Ridley          Hyattsville, MD

100, 200

35

Steven Robbins             Cleveland Heights, OH

100, 200

70

Bob Lida                          Wichita, KS

100, 200, 400

75

Antwon Dussett            Peoria, IL

400

40

Marcus Shute                Lithonia, GA

400

50

Damon Blakemore        Houston, TX

Short and Long Hurdles

50

Thad Wilson                   Oxnard, CA

Short and Long Hurdles

60

William Jankovich         Racine, WI

200 hurdles

80

Kenneth Thomasc        Houston TX

Long Jump

55

Wendell Beck                Mesa, AZ

Pole Vault

55

Howard Booth               Gregory, MI

Pole Vault

70

Quenton Torbert          Redlands, CA

Shot Put

60

Cameron Bolles           Santa Rose, CA

Discus Throw

45

Ralph Fruguglietti        Bakersfield, CA

Discus Throw

55

Stefan Patersson         Frisco, TX

Javelin Throw

45




FOR THE WOMEN USA ATHLETES (by events)


Brandi Bernert               Denver, CO

100, 200m

35

Joy Upshaw                    Lafayette, CA

100, 200, Short Hurdles

50

LaTricia Dendy               Bronx,NY

400

40

Jeanne Daprano            Fayetteville, GA

800, 1500m

75

Coreen Steinbach         Pompey, NY

1500m

60

Menka Scott                   Lees Summit, MO

Short Hurdles

45

Christel Donley             Colorado Springs, CO

High Jump

75

Carol Finsrud                 Lockhart, TX

Discus, Weight,

Throws Pent.

50




Contact: Bob Weiner, USATF National Masters Media Chair [email protected];  
301-283-0821; Cell and in Lyon 202-329-1700

SOURCE Robert Weiner Associates and USATF National Masters Media Committee