Scratton, Brunker master the world

Eighty-five-year-old Dave Scratton and 73-year-old Colleen Brunker are still a little stunned after smashing world records at the North Island Masters Athletics Championships in Whangarei last weekend.
Scratton threw the weight throw (steel ball and chain) 10.64m to break the mens 85yr world record while Brunker threw the weight throw 9.41m to break the record for 73 year-old women.
The records have yet to be ratified by the world athletics body in Europe but they were comfortably ahead of the previous best throws of 8.82m by a Finnish man and 8.10m by a Scottish lady.
The weight throw is a smaller version of the hammer and has been part of the New Zealand athletics scene for over a decade.
The foundation was laid for something special from Scratton and Brunker after doing the hard yards in their "favourite event" at Kensington Park's Whangarei Athletics Club in recent years.
No quarter was spared when Scratton and Brunker squared off in the weight throw at their weekly training sessions.
"We push each other to the limit and that's what has got us the records," Scratton said.
"Colleen tries and tries and we force each others best distances up, it's pride I suppose ... but it has come as quite a shock to me to break a world record, I never thought I would be near a world record for my age group."
Brunker agreed: "I never thought I would do this but I suppose it's reward for a lot of hard work. I always want to do better and better and this makes me quite determined for the next age-group when I reach 74."
"I know I can do better. I was very tired because I was organising the three-day meet," she said.
Breaking their first world records in their home-town had added to the buzz.
Their combined age is 158 but you wouldn't think so when chatting to the lively duo.
"It was quite exciting," Brunker said.
"It was a nice feeling wasn't it," Scratton agreed.
"It's hard work but well worth it. It gives me a lot of happiness."
Scratton was the only competitor in his age-group.
"They have all passed away. Records are the only thing I can go for now."
They would continue to vie for supremacy on the training paddock.
"I have only beaten him once, I think he was off colour," Brunker said.
A third world record was also broken at the North Island Masters Athletics Championships, also in the weight throw, with 74 year-old Wellington athlete Colleena Blair throwing the ball and chain 10.03m.
Brunker will be gunning for Blair's record in several months time, she said.
Twenty five North Island records and one New Zealand record was also broken at the championships.