Torun, Poland – (WMA) World Masters Athletics Outdoor Championships

March 24th-30th, 2019

219 USATF MASTERS ATHLETES ARE ON THEIR WAY TO TORUN, POLAND, THE HOMETOWN OF COPERNICUS, TO COMPETE IN THE 8TH WORLD MASTERS ATHLETICS (WMA) INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS! AS PART OF THAT ELITE GROUP ARE 13 USATF MASTERS HALL OF FAME MEMBERS, 20 WORLD RECORD HOLDERS AND 30 AMERICAN INDOOR RECORD HOLDERS!

“We in the USATF Masters Track & Field Community are very excited about the upcoming World Masters Indoor Championships in Torun, Poland. The introduction of the World Number One travel incentive and medal stipend program has resulted in more than doubling our Team USATF Masters entry from the last World Indoor and we are anticipating great results. It will take our very best efforts to better several teams expected to be very close to us including, Poland, Great Britain, Spain, France, and others. Thanks, everyone for your support of Team USATF Masters either by participating and/or contributing to the effort.” ~ Rex Harvey

Toruń, Poland – Friday, March 22, 2019^— Tomorrow, the 23rd of March, the opening ceremony of the WMA Indoors Championships will kick off 7 days of competition for over 4000 athletes from 35 to over 100 years of age from 88 countries. The USA is sending over 200 representatives of Team USATF from all over the country, including some of the best in the world to Poland.

Included on #TeamUSATF is 2018 WMA Outstanding Male Athlete of the Year Charles Allie, 71, of Pittsburgh, PA, who holds the M70 records in both indoor and outdoor 200M and 400M. Also participating is USATF Masters Female Athlete of the Year and WMA female event group Athlete of the Year runner up in middle distance events Leslie Hinz, 61, from Atlanta, GA, the current world record holder in the indoor 800M and mile, along with Carol Finsrud, also 61, from Lockhart, TX, current world record holder in the discus and WMA female event group Athlete of the Year runner up in the throwing events. Other top American performers traveling to Toruń include former WMA Athletes of the Year; Rita Hanscom (2009), 64, San Diego, CA; Irene Obera, (2016), 85, Fremont, CA; and Bob Lida (2017), 82, Wichita, KS.

Neringa Jakstiene, 55, from Memphis, TN, is a new American citizen representing Team USATF for the first time in Toruń. Earlier this month at the USATF Masters Indoor Championships in Winston-Salem, NC, she set world age group records in the indoor pentathlon, 60m hurdles, long jump, and triple jump, as well as an American record in the high jump. Additional stars to watch include George Mathews, 75 of Edmonds, WA, who has won multiple world championships in the weight throw, Dawn Grunnagle, 41 of Dallas, TX, who won the women’s division of the 2018 Berlin Marathon, Heide Moebius, 80 of Lancaster, PA, who won the women’s 75+ division of the 2018 Athens Marathon, Gloria Krug, 87 of New Oxford, PA, who won seven events at the 2017 World Indoor Championships in Daegu, South Korea, and Antonio Palacios, 52, of Bloomington, IN, current world record holder in the long jump in the M45 age group.

***All athletes are subject to drug testing at the meet.

More Information is at:

The main WMA Site for Toruń: https://wmaci2019.com
The Full Timetable can be found here: https://wmaci2019.com/schedule/
All Results and live streaming will be posted at this site: https://wmaci2019.com
The List of American Athletes is here: http://tinyurl.com/y5uennzw

Cheer on #TeamUSATF and follow the results at:

http://www.usatf.org/
https://www.usatfmasters.org
https://www.facebook.com/usatfmasterstrack/
https://twitter.com/USAMastersTrack
https://instagram/usatfmasterstrack

About USATF Masters

USA Track & Field (USATF) is the national governing body for track and field, long-distance running and race walking in the United States. USATF Masters encompasses its over-30 division whose competitors exemplify lifelong fitness and competition. Visit the USATF website for more information at www.usatf.org