Ottey runs legal 11.45, equivalent to 10.22!

[TrackCEO]

Merlene Ottey has qualified for the European Championships by clocking a legal 11.45 for the 100 -- at age 46! On the World Masters Athletics Age-Graded Tables, her performance corresponds to an open (20-30) time of 10.22.

Details on my blog:
http://masterstrack.com/blog/archives/000905.html

K E N

[Daisy]

Re: Ottey runs legal 11.45, equivalent to 10.22!

Merlene Ottey has qualified for the European Championships by clocking a legal 11.45 for the 100 -- at age 46! On the World Masters Athletics Age-Graded Tables, her performance corresponds to an open (20-30) time of 10.22.

Details on my blog:
http://masterstrack.com/blog/archives/000905.html

K E N

Don't you think its time to recalibrate these age graded tables? however, still a remarkable run.

[bf]

Amen. The age grading tables still need more work. But it's a worthy project (if thoroughly researched). Amazing, Ottey can be doing this, after serious hamstring surgery (reattachment!). If she makes the Euros, I hope the announcer will say "in lane 3.. 1980 Olympic bronze medalist...", or something like that.

[Dutra]

Re: Ottey runs legal 11.45, equivalent to 10.22!

Merlene Ottey has qualified for the European Championships by clocking a legal 11.45 for the 100 -- at age 46! On the World Masters Athletics Age-Graded Tables, her performance corresponds to an open (20-30) time of 10.22.

Details on my blog:
http://masterstrack.com/blog/archives/000905.html

K E N

Good for Ottey. I think the 'correspondence' proves how worthless those Tables are.

[El Toro]

There is no fundamental reason why an age-graded score shouldn't exceed the open WR. Performances have no intrinsic value and any scoring is purely comparative. If Merlene, or anyone, ages significantly slower than the rest of the population, she will further out on the performance curve. If she is further out than the WR holder is over the rest of the open competitors, then Merlene's performance IS better than the WR, age-graded, statistically speaking. The real problem though is that the age-group population is highly unlikely to match the open competitor population in any important aspect(talent,commitment,numbers,support), other than the actual events themselves.

[Daisy]

The real problem though is that the age-group population is highly unlikely to match the open competitor population in any important aspect(talent,commitment,numbers,support), other than the actual events themselves.

Exactly. And this is very clear by the fact that it equates Merlene to a time that is not even close to her fastest.

It would seem that the alogorithm is assuming the current masters are the best out there. But when real elites do run in the masters their times show us that the current masters elite are not the best ones out there but rather the best that continue to compete (and i think it's great that they still compete.)

Just out of interest, is it typical that masters athletes are running times that consistently correspond to times significantly faster than their PR times heignt and distances?

[Powell]

If she keeps on competing for another couple of years, she's going to beat Asafa's record :shock:

[El Toro]

Daisy, I have to take issue with the concept that Merlene should only ever be able to match her own open best using age-graded score. Although age-grading tries to correct for age of a population, it can never correct for the aging of any particular individual. If Merlene doesn't decline as fast as the rest of the age cohort, she will be relatively better than her youthful best. I'm also not aware of any evidence that a world class open athlete will always be superior as a master although I would assume this is more likely at a younger age than later on.

[mrbowie]

Wow!

So, like, Merlene is better than the Flo-Jo world record.

Awesome!

Why is this not making headlines in dailies around the world?

(Isn't it about time for somebody to trot out the old bromide that says "Figures don't lie, but liars figure?")

[Bob R]

I don't want to get into the age-graded debate (nor do I believe, does Merlene Ottey), but a brief update: Ottey won her second SLO title in the 100 on Sat (11.50), and will be competing at the Euro Champs.

[peach]

Lovely !

Well, kind of...I hope she gets quicker. id love to see her make the final. She won't go any better than that, but it would be magnificent to see- her first European Champs at the age of 46 !!!

[dsrunner]

the age group formulas are a joke some worse than others.
certainly it is possible a record might exceed the
open WR in quality but given the effort, cash, and numbers
involved in open track and field, you'd have to say thats
a million to one.

Ive coached age group record holders and spoken w/ many.
they all downplay the age-group formulas and focus on the competition.
the correct formulation would set the adjustments based on the best performance at at an age group. in other words otteys mark should impact all records. no reason a record in one event cant be scaled to 96%, for example.