There were a handful of medals for Sussex athletes in the World Masters championships in Perth, Australia over the past few days including three Gold medals.
Ironically two of those were gained by East Grinstead Hammer thrower Phil Spivey, who is actually an Australian.
Spivey has been settled in Sussex for many years and his son Ryan, a leading Sussex and English School's athlete attracted him back to competition. Spivey (Dad) had competed for Australia in the Commonwealth Games at Edinburgh in 1986 where he won a bronze medal in the hammer competition.
In recent years Dad Spivey has been a regular member of the East Grinstead Southern League team while
this past season Spivey finished second in the Sussex Senior hammer championship.
At Perth Spivey competed in the M55 11.34k and the 6kg hammer competitions winning both titles with 20.68m and 60.08m respectively.
Steyning race walker Ian Richards who has collected many World and European Masters titles in recent years came up against Cararens Lopez from Mexico and was deprived of the gold medal in both the 5,000m and 10k clocking 24:30.30s and 51:30s respectively for his silver medal.
There were more medals for Sussex walkers through New Zealander Mike Parker.
Parker, who spent the much of the seventies and eighties in England and walked for the Brighton & Hove club and Sussex and he will remain a Sussex athlete until such time as he walks for another County.
Parker, who still holds the Sussex 50km road walking record, collected both a gold and silver in the M60 age group in Perth clocking 25:39.11s for the 5,000m event for his gold medal abut he was squeezed into second place in the 10k race in 53:35s.
If you have any queries or want more information regarding this post, please Email Reg Hook.