Edlin and Skuse add to collection

Warren Edlin holds the medals he received in competition at the Oceania Masters Athletics Championships in Dunedin. His medals from previous meets are in the cabinet. Pictures by Paul Rickard

GISBORNE veteran athletes Warren Edlin and Roy Skuse continue to rack up the medals, and combine travel with their love of sport.

They contested the Oceania Masters Athletics Championships at the Caledonian Ground in Dunedin last month, and both look forward to overseas trips where holidays coincide with an international veterans’ or masters’ event.

Edlin, 61, won a gold medal and two silvers in the 60-to-64 age group in Dunedin.

He won the gold as a member of the New Zealand men’s medley relay team, one silver as a member of the New Zealand men’s 4 x 100 metres relay team, and the other silver in the triple jump.

“The medley relay is run over 1600m, but instead of four lots of 400m it is split into an 800m leg, a 400m leg and two 200m legs,” Edlin said.

“I ran the first of the 200m legs, and the satisfying thing was that I passed the Aussie runner down the back straight before handing over to the other 200m runner in the lead at the start of the last leg.”

In the 4 x 100m, he was the second runner.

Edlin said the relay teams were selected based on performances at the championships.

He also had two fourth placings, in the 60m and 100m, and made the 200m final, in which he finished seventh.

“I got through injury-free,” he said.

“The only event I had trouble with was the 300m hurdles. I hadn’t jumped hurdles for a few years. I did some training with a couple, but in the race I clipped the third hurdle with my trailing leg and hit the deck.”

As he hit the track, his left hand landed on the lane inside and he was judged to have “made progress in another lane” so was disqualified.

“It happened on the last day, just before my relay races, but the only thing injured was my pride,” Edlin said.

He served as an official between races. Officials received bronze medals for their contribution, so he ended the championships with a full set.

These were the 11th consecutive Oceania Games he had attended, starting with Hastings in 1998.

“They are held every two years. The next are in Mackay, Queensland, and then they’ll probably be on Norfolk Island.”

400 competitors from across the globeMost of the 400 competitors were from New Zealand and Australia, but athletes from countries as diverse as India, Spain, the Czech Republic and the United States also took part. If a guest athlete finished in the first three, he or she received the appropriate medal, but the first three Oceania athletes in that event also all received medals.

As well as the Oceania championship events, Edlin has attended “six or seven” New Zealand Masters Track and Field Championships, as well as Hawke’s Bay-Poverty Bay athletics events.

His medal tally so far is 44 Oceania, 13 New Zealand Masters and 10 HBPB.

He still has space in his medal cabinet, although he is not planning to compete at the national masters meet in Whangarei this weekend.

Roy Skuse, 77 next month, was the only competitor in the 75-to-79 age group for his event, the throws pentathlon — comprising the hammer, heavy weight, shot put, javelin and discus.

“I enjoyed it, but it was disappointing to be the only one in my age group,” Skuse said.

Nevertheless, he is looking forward to the World Masters Athletics Championships in Malaga, Spain, in September.

He mixes work with pleasure. An interest in a local travel business means he has an active role in the organisation of a tour group to the event.

“We’ve got a big group going from New Zealand and Australia — 70-odd.”

In competition, Skuse will concentrate on field events.

“I have to; I can’t run,” he said.

Last June he got a new right knee, courtesy of an old rugby injury. He was also a national boxing champion in his youth.

Skuse has been going to masters events since the mid-1980s and has “a drawerful” of medals. He has no plans to stop any time soon.