otherstuff

So, for what its worth, these are my impressions of the European Masters Athletics Championships Indoors 2020 which eventually took place in Braga, Portugal in 2022.

Congratulations

• First of all to the organising committees for holding on to the idea for two years of prohibitive non-pharmaceutical interventions, and holding the event where it was planned, if not when.

• Secondly, to us, athletes from all over Europe (and Canada and Hong Kong and Chile and the United States) for having the courage, foresight, bloody-mindedness, determination or whatever, to book our places under conditions of extreme doubt and actually get here.

• Thirdly, to providence, for allowing restrictions to be relaxed sufficiently, and just in time, to turn what might have been an LFT Marathon into a rather more manageable bal masqué.

Force Majeure

Apart from the above there have been factors beyond anyone’s control which have greatly coloured our recent view of anything. The last two weeks have brought storm Eunice, a BA systems failure, and what on earth can you say to a Ukrainian athlete faced with whatever it turns out to be they are faced with.

On the positive side Braga is blessed. It is a delightful, well equipped, pretty and very holy town. The 88 bus ride out to the furthermost of the two sanctuaries, followed by the long, long staircase back down to town, did feel almost spiritual.

Mar, He’s making eyes at me

Three things marred the event for me.

• One was the remote location of the medals ceremonies, batched up into a mass presentation, with no timetable and not even an order of service. I hadn’t realised just how much I’ve liked the smaller, nearby presentation, where the crush of passers-by added to the groups of supporters creates a buzz of excitement and atmosphere. Given that the Forum was ideally suited to this approach, I felt this was a let down.

• There was an incident with a throws contest, taking place in the practice stadium, in which a hammer landed on the track. The organisers’ immediate response was to put the practice area completely out of bounds to all but competitors. Hugely irritating when all that was needed was to cordon off the danger area, as indeed happened later.

• And the British team seems to have suffered a self inflicted blow in the way the relays have been organised. I feel as though I’ve been denied the opportunity to take part.

The Tedious Statistics

Heathside Results

• Adrian:

  • Day (M60)

    • 200m 29.07 s (SB)

    • 400m 64.09 s (SB)

    • Relay (M50) 5th

  • Essex (M70)

    • Pentathlon – Scratched

    • Long Jump 4.06 m (SB) 5th

    • 60m 8.76s (SB) 4th

    • 200m 28.75s (SB) Silver

    • 400m 67.48s (SB) Bronze

    • 60m Hurdles 11.39s (SB) 4th