Four world records were broken during Tuesday’s World Masters Athletics Indoor Championships competitions.
Kenton Brown’s time of 8.76 in the Men’s (80-84) 60M got the party started Tuesday morning. By the afternoon, the 3000M saw two new records. Francis Kipkoech Bowen of Kenya ran 8:36.23 to set a new mark in the Men’s (50-54) category and 91-year-old American Inocencio Cantu rewrote history with his time of 21:29.65 in the Men’s (90-94) category.
The Men’s 60M crowned eight members of Team USA with Gold in 12 categories. Mongolia, Australia, Germany, and Sweden also stood atop the podium. In all, Team USA claimed 21 of the 36 medals in the categories. France was a distant second with three.
At West End, the Outdoor Throws saw 11 Gold Medals awarded to six different nations, including the United States, Israel, Luxembourg, Norway, Canada and France. Those from the hexagon were left with the biggest grins.
“I don’t believe it,” said Claudine Cacaut (France), gold medalist and new world record holder in the Women’s (60-64) Hammer category. “I’m overjoyed. What a crazy moment. I beat a World Record by 2 centimeters.”
As Tuesday afternoon ended, six categories handed out medals in the Indoor Throws. Team USA swept the Men’s (60-64) Shot Put, with Scott Eriksson’s 15.37M winning gold. Team USA also swept the Men’s (75-79) Weight Throw with Ken Moss atop the podium with a distance of 18.02M. The Men’s (65-69) Shot Put had Great Britain’s Michael Hausler wearing gold with his 13.56M effort. Gavin Murray, of Australia, rounded out the day in the Men’s (70-74). His Weight Throw of 17.73M put him in first place.
Wednesday morning will continue to see multiple competitions in two locations. At 9 a.m., athletes take to the air, at the Alachua County Sports and Events Center, with the Long Jump, Triple Jump, High Jump and Pole Vault starting with the Women’s (40-45) category. The Indoor Throws pick back up with the Weight T, in Women’s (55-59), and Shot Put in Men’s (75-79). The Men’s 200M heats and semifinals get underway with the Women’s 3000M anchoring the afternoon beginning at 2 p.m. At West End, at 9 a.m., The Outdoor Throws continue with the Women’s (50-54) Hammer followed by the Men’s (55-59) Discus and the Men’s (45-49) Javelin.
Also Wednesday, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., athletes from all nations will face their most grueling test. They will be on the mic entertaining everyone with four hours of live karaoke.
Key Event Highlights:
- Competition Dates: Today thru March 30, 2025
- Locations: Alachua County Sports and Events Center, Celebration Pointe
- Open 5K Road Race: March 29, following the WMA 10K Road Race at Celebration Pointe (registration at https://runsignup.com/Race/FL/Gainesville/CelebrationPointe5K Deadline is Thursday, March 27th at 5 p.m.
- Volunteer Opportunities: Available throughout the week (sign-up at www.wmaci2025.com)
- Admissions: Free for spectators
- Athlete Village: Open daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., with live entertainment vendors and more. Vendor opportunities can be found at https://wmaci2025.com/vendors/
Media Information:
- Local media are invited to attend. Media credentials can be requested through the official event website: https://wmaci2025.com/media-accreditation/
- The Media Center will be located at the Alachua County Sports and Events Center and will be open to credentialed media throughout the competition.
- General Schedule and competition details are available at www.wmaci2025.com
For more information and to contact the on-site media liaison, contact Seth Harp at 251-281-5013 or info@wmaci2025.com.
