The Masters World Athletics Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden, was truly an amazing experience. Over 8,000 athletes from more than 100 countries gathered for two weeks of intense competition.
Gothenburg was a wonderful host city. The people were friendly, the accommodation was good, and it was easy to get around. I traveled with my training partner, Trevor Hodgson, and we also met up with my friend John Wright, a reining World Champion, and Brian Steene, who was competing in his first World Championships. We all stayed in the same apartments, and the four of us quickly became a tight-knit group, spending most of the two weeks hanging out together, though Brian was only with us for the first week.
I was there to compete in the M60 100m, 200m, and 400m, and, if selected, the 4x100m and 4x400m relays. Realistically, my expectations going in were to make the semi-finals and finish in the top 10 in the 200m and 400m. I had higher hopes for the 4x100m and 4x400m relays, where I thought we could win or, at the very least, podium. As for the 100m? Well, it’s not my best event, and I was only really competing to get a feel for the track and improve my chances of making the 4x100m relay team by running a new season’s best.
Our first task upon arrival was to pick up our race numbers and register for the events, which we did at the main Slottskogsvallen venue the day before the competition began. The venue itself was fantastic. The outdoor track had recently been relaid and was in excellent condition. There was also an indoor warm-up facility, ensuring we could prepare regardless of the weather. Medical teams were on hand, and our Team Manager, Kay Reynolds, was there to take care of all the Team GB athletes as needed.
That’s all for this post. In the next update, I’ll dive into the races themselves!
Stuart Lynn - Masters Athlete 