# 1991 World Masters Athletics Championships

60°26′33″N 22°15′31″E﻿ / ﻿60.4425508°N 22.2587239°E﻿ / 60.4425508; 22.2587239﻿ (Paavo Nurmi Stadium) 1991 World Masters Athletics Championships is the ninth in a series of World Masters Athletics Outdoor Championships (called World Veterans Championships at the time) that took place in Turku, Finland from 18 to 28 July 1991.
The main venue was Paavo Nurmi Stadium. $^{:18}$ $^{:191}$ Satellite tracks were located in nearby municipalities of Raisio and Kaarina. $^{:19}$ $^{:16}$
This edition of masters athletics Championships had a minimum age limit of 35 years for women and 40 years for men. $^{:1}$
The governing body of this series is World Association of Veteran Athletes (WAVA). WAVA was formed during meeting at the inaugural edition of this series at Toronto in 1975, then officially founded during the second edition in 1977, then renamed as World Masters Athletics (WMA) at the Brisbane Championships in 2001.
$^{:56}$
This Championships was organized by WAVA in coordination with a Local Organising Committee (LOC) headed by Sten-Olof Hansen.
$^{:18}$
In addition to a full range of track and field events,
non-stadia events included 10K Cross Country, 10K Race Walk (women), 20K Race Walk (men), and Marathon.

## South Africa

South Africa had been expelled by the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) in 1976 due to the apartheid policy of the South African government at that time.
The participation of South African athletes in WAVA competitions had been at odds with the IAAF, specifically due to the 1977 WAVA constitution which had stated that $^{:167}$
   no competitor be barred because of race, religion, ethnic background, or national origin.
As a compromise, South Africans often competed at these Championships under the flag of other nations before 1987.
During General Assembly at the 1987 Championships, WAVA delegates approved a motion to amend the WAVA constitution and exclude countries whose national federation is suspended by the IAAF.
$^{:50}$ $^{:181}$ Thus South African athletes were officially banned from these Championships, and would not be welcomed back until the 1993 edition in Miyazaki, $^{:185}$ after the abolition of apartheid and the readmittance of South Africa into IAAF in 1992.

## Results

Past Championships results are archived at WMA.
Additional archives are available from Museum of Masters Track & Field
as a pdf book,
in pdf newsletters from National Masters News,
and as a searchable pdf extracted from the September 1991 newsletter.
Several masters world records were set at this Championships. World records for 1991 are from the lists of World Records in the Museum of Masters Track & Field pdf book, $^{:9}$ supplemented by another list of World Records in the September 1991 newsletter. $^{:11}$
The winners from each of the age-group 100m races were invited to participate in a "Special WAVA Age-Graded 100", $^{:14}$ where runners were given distance handicaps based on WAVA age-graded tables.
The winners were M55 Hugo Hartenstein ( USA) in 10.55 and W40 Geraldine Otto ( GER) in 11.22. $^{:34}$
The blind sprinter Fritz Assmy, now in the M75 class and guided by his grandson, $^{:52}$ set new WRs in the 100m and 200m sprints, $^{:185}$ running in his assigned lane 8 to avoid getting in the way of other competitors. $^{:10}$
He had been guided by his son-in-law in 1977, 1979 and 1981, and by his son in 1983 and 1985. This was his last WAVA Championships; he would not compete in 1993 and would pass away in 2000.

### Women

| Event | Athlete(s) | Nationality | Performance |
| W55 100 Meters | Corrie Roovers-van den Bosch | NED | 13.30 |
| W50 400 Meters | Brunhilde Hoffmann | GER | 1:02.89 |
| W55 400 Meters | Carolyn Sue Cappetta | USA | 1:05.48 |
| W60 400 Meters | Ann Cooper | AUS | 1:07.97 |
| W55 800 Meters | Edeltraud Pohl$^{:36}$ | GER | 2:37.42 |
| W55 1500 Meters | Edeltraud Pohl$^{:36}$ | GER | 5:12.43 |
| W75 1500 Meters | Johanna Luther | GER | 7:06.13 |
| W80 1500 Meters | Anne Clarke | USA | 8:36.90 |
| W45 5000 Meters | Elaine Statham | GBR | 17:40.77 |
| W50 5000 Meters | Ida Hellwagner | AUS | 18:05.33 |
| W70 5000 Meters | Lenore Marvin | CAN | 24:24.32 |
| W45 10000 Meters | Elaine Statham | GBR | 37:05.16 |
| W60 10000 Meters | Marion Irvine | USA | 43:23.17 |
| W75 10000 Meters | Johanna Luther | GER | 53:13.63 |
| W35 2000 Meters Steeplechase | Victoria Adams$^{:38}$ | NZL | 7:48.32 |
| W45 2000 Meters Steeplechase | Margaret Orman$^{:38}$ | NZL | 7:38.08 |
| W55 2000 Meters Steeplechase | Sally Strazdins$^{:38}$ | USA | 9:52.25 |
| W60 2000 Meters Steeplechase | Ruth Carrier$^{:38}$ | CAN | 11:04.56 |
| W55 80 Meters Hurdles | Corrie Roovers-van den Bosch | NED | 13.30 |
| W75 80 Meters Hurdles | Rosaline Sole$^{:37}$ | NZL | 27.89 |
| W55 300 Meters Hurdles | Corrie Roovers-van den Bosch$^{:37}$ | NED | 52.11 |
| W60 300 Meters Hurdles | Betty Vosburgh$^{:37}$$^{:191}$ | USA | 59.78 |
| W65 300 Meters Hurdles | Else Laine$^{:37}$$^{:11}$ | FIN | 68.23 |
| W40 4 x 100 Meters Relay | Ingrid Meier, Geraldine Otto, Anita Bayha, Ellen Hees$^{:11}$$^{:37}$ | GER | 49.45 |
| W45 4 x 100 Meters Relay | Karin Koschnitzke, Gerida Seibert, Doris Gallep, Anne-Kathrin Eriksen$^{:11}$$^{:37}$ | GER | 53.05 |
| W55 4 x 100 Meters Relay | Edith Heise, Gertrude Muller, Rosemarie Chevalley, Lilo Rollfing$^{:11}$$^{:37}$ | GER | 61.72 |
| W60 4 x 100 Meters Relay | Rosemarie Kveiskott, Christa Kreuzwieser, Ruth Hunkel, Christel Franzen$^{:11}$$^{:38}$ | GER | 57.88 |
| W65 4 x 100 Meters Relay | Liselotte Schule, Paula Schneiderhan, Johanna Gelbrich, Elizabeth Haule$^{:11}$$^{:37}$ | GER | 67.20 |
| W70 4 x 100 Meters Relay | Diane Friedman, Carol Peebles, Pearl Mehl, Marie Stafford$^{:11}$$^{:38}$ | USA | 80.77 |
| W45 4 x 400 Meters Relay | Erika Sauer, Doris Gallep, Gerida Seibert, Karin Koschnitzke$^{:11}$$^{:37}$ | GER | 4:29.58 |
| W50 4 x 400 Meters Relay | Brunhilde Hoffmann, Ingrid Holzknecht, Gisela Blank, Friderun Kümmerle-Valk$^{:11}$$^{:37}$ | GER | 4:35.77 |
| W55 4 x 400 Meters Relay | Kathy McIntyre, Christel Miller, Lucy Ann Brobst, Betty Vosburgh$^{:11}$$^{:39}$ | USA | 5:07.58 |
| W40 5K Race Walk | Viisha Sedlak$^{:11}$ | USA | 24:17.2 |
| W50 5K Race Walk | Veino Heikkila$^{:11}$ | FIN | 25:54.7 |
| W80 5K Race Walk | Margit Lindgren$^{:42}$ | SWE | 38:02.2 |
| W50 Long Jump | Christiane Schmalbruch | GER | 5.02 |
| W70 Long Jump | Mary Wixey$^{:39}$ | GBR | 3.40 |
| W35 Triple Jump | Arja Jussila$^{:40}$ | FIN | 11.57 |
| W40 Triple Jump | Anna Włodarczyk$^{:40}$ | POL | 12.07 |
| W50 Triple Jump | Helen Ray Searle$^{:40}$ | AUS | 9.77 |
| W70 Triple Jump | Mary Wixey$^{:40}$ | GBR | 6.72 |
| W80 Triple Jump | Ruth Frith$^{:40}$ | AUS | 5.22 |
| W55 High Jump | Taisija Tchentchik | URS | 1.43 |
| W60 High Jump | Elsa Enarsson | SWE | 1.27 |
| W80 High Jump | Margareta Thesleff Sarvana$^{:39}$ | FIN | 0.88 |
| W55 Shot Put | Sigrun Kofink | GER | 14.47 |
| W60 Shot Put | Marianne Hamm | GER | 11.23 |
| W65 Shot Put | Totti Kasekamp | URS | 10.06 |
| W70 Shot Put | Katerine Smildzina$^{:40}$ | URS | 8.12 |
| W85 Shot Put | Irja Sarnama$^{:40}$ | FIN | 5.48 |
| W50 Discus Throw | Ljudmila Hmelevskaja | URS | 44.48 |
| W75 Discus Throw | Annchen Reile$^{:40}$ | GER | 20.84 |
| M40 Hammer Throw | Inge Faldager$^{:41}$ | DEN | 42.12 |
| W50 Hammer Throw | Helen Ray Searle$^{:41}$ | AUS | 41.86 |
| W55 Hammer Throw | Antonina Ivanova$^{:41}$ | URS | 40.82 |
| W70 Hammer Throw | Ilse Bellin$^{:41}$ | GER | 29.40 |
| W50 Javelin Throw | Elvīra Ozoliņa$^{:41}$ | URS | 44.90 |
| W60 Javelin Throw | Janina Paksyte$^{:41}$ | URS | 32.24 |
| W65 Javelin Throw | Totti Kasekamp$^{:41}$ | URS | 26.54 |
| W75 Javelin Throw | Johanna Gelbrich$^{:41}$ | GER | 22.70 |
| W85 Javelin Throw | Irja Sarnama$^{:41}$ | FIN | 13.74 |
| W50 Heptathlon | Friderun Kümmerle-Valk$^{:43}$ | GER | 5729 |
| W55 Heptathlon | Corrie Roovers-van den Bosch | NED | 6171 |

### Men

| Event | Athlete(s) | Nationality | Performance |
| M75 100 Meters | Fritz Assmy$^{:191}$$^{:10}$ | GER | 14.06 |
| M95 100 Meters | Joginder Singh$^{:34}$ | IND | 20.82 |
| M75 200 Meters | Fritz Assmy$^{:191}$$^{:10}$ | GER | 29.07 |
| M90 200 Meters | Murthy Narayana | IND | 44.77 |
| M95 200 Meters | Joginder Singh$^{:35}$ | IND | 48.42 |
| M60 400 Meters | Wilhelm Selzer | GER | 57.36 |
| M65 400 Meters | Jack Greenwood$^{:191}$ | USA | 1:00.23 |
| M90 400 Meters | Murthy Narayana | IND | 1:59.76 |
| M70 800 Meters | James Lytjen | USA | 2:27.57 |
| M95 800 Meters | Herbert S. Kirk | USA | 6:02.94 |
| M50 5000 Meters | Antonio Villanueva | MEX | 14:55.60 |
| M70 5000 Meters | Warren Utes$^{:191}$$^{:9}$$^{:19}$ | USA | 18:43.61 |
| M95 5000 Meters | Herbert S. Kirk | USA | 50:23.53 |
| M50 10000 Meters | Ron Robertson | NZL | 31:01.90 |
| M60 10000 Meters | Luciano Acquarone | ITA | 34:14.88 |
| M70 10000 Meters | Warren Utes$^{:191}$ | USA | 38:23.69 |
| M50 3000 Meters Steeplechase | Ron Robertson$^{:38}$ | NZL | 9:43.97 |
| M70 80 Meters Hurdles | Hans Gilli$^{:37}$ | SUI | 14.42 |
| M75 80 Meters Hurdles | Herbert Miller$^{:37}$ | USA | 15.37 |
| M50 100 Meters Hurdles | Charley Miller$^{:37}$ | USA | 15.02 |
| M55 100 Meters Hurdles | Lars Lindhe$^{:37}$ | SWE | 15.98 |
| M65 100 Meters Hurdles | Jack Greenwood$^{:191}$ | USA | 16.30 |
| M65 300 Meters Hurdles | Jack Greenwood$^{:191}$ | USA | 45.20 |
| M75 300 Meters Hurdles | Reino Taskinen | FIN | 59.89 |
| M80 300 Meters Hurdles | Erkki Haapalainen$^{:37}$$^{:11}$ | FIN | 75.99 |
| M45 4 x 100 Meters Relay | Josef Bolsinger, Walter Gossmann, Manfred Bellmann, Walter Toscher$^{:11}$$^{:38}$ | GER | 44.74 |
| M55 4 x 100 Meters Relay | John Darrell, Matthew Brown, Milton Newton, Hugo Bartenstein$^{:11}$$^{:36}$ | USA | 47.94 |
| M65 4 x 100 Meters Relay | Robert Watanabe, Melvin Larsen, Jim Law, Jack Greenwood$^{:8}$$^{:11}$$^{:37}$ | USA | 50.21 |
| M65 4 x 400 Meters Relay | Rudolph Valentine, Oscar Harris, Jim Law, Jack Greenwood$^{:8}$$^{:11}$$^{:37}$ | USA | 4:19.18 |
| M75 4 x 100 Meters Relay | Pentti Vuorela, Yrjö Hupponen, Reino Taskinen, Ahti Pajunen$^{:11}$$^{:37}$ | FIN | 63.57 |
| M45 5K Race Walk | Eero Heman$^{:42}$ | FIN | 21:45.6 |
| M55 5K Race Walk | Vladimir Golubnichiy$^{:42}$ | URS | 22:44.5 |
| M60 Marathon | Luciano Acquarone | ITA | 2:38:15 |
| M70 Long Jump | Gudmund Skrivervik | NOR | 4.98 |
| M95 Long Jump | Joginder Singh | IND | 21.5 |
| M60 Triple Jump | Hermann Strauss | GER | 12.33 |
| M65 Triple Jump | Matti Järvinen | FIN | 11.11 |
| M70 Triple Jump | Gudmund Skrivervik | NOR | 10.17 |
| M45 High Jump | Mark Gelnov$^{:39}$ | URS | 1.92 |
| M55 High Jump | Horst Mandl$^{:39}$ | AUT | 1.77 |
| M80 Pole Vault | Ahti Pajunen | FIN | 2.32 |
| M50 Shot Put | Klaus Liedtke$^{:191}$ | GER | 18.45 |
| M80 Shot Put | Osmo Renvall | FIN | 11.00 |
| M95 Shot Put | Joginder Singh | IND | 6.37 |
| M70 Discus Throw | Kauko Jouppila$^{:191}$ | FIN | 47.76 |
| M80 Discus Throw | Osmo Renvall | FIN | 37.86 |
| M95 Discus Throw | Joginder Singh | IND | 16.12 |
| M65 Hammer Throw | Pentti Saarikoski | FIN | 51.76 |
| M85 Javelin Throw | Masami Okazaki$^{:41}$ | JPN | 22.94 |
| M95 Javelin Throw | Joginder Singh | IND | 21.16 |