The Track & Field events were held at the Laval University track in Quebec and were good facilities apart from there not being any cover on the stands. As the temperature was up in the 80s (F) throughout, spectators were scrambling for whatever bit of shade they could find.

Being 66, I am a retired member of the C&E Sports Club and in the Over 65 age category, which, in the WPFG organisation is, Grand Master "D". I had entered the 200m, 400m, 800m, and 1500m, but carrying a slight adductor strain was a bit wary of doing 200m.

However, the first event, on the Wednesday afternoon, a week after we had arrived, was the 800m. On the warm up track I chatted with a retired fire officer from Vancouver whom I had competed with at previous Games and he introduced me to another competitor, George Cohen, who, he told me, still held the Over 45 Games record for 800m of 1 min 58 secs.

Oh dear, I thought, I am running for silver here. And so it proved. The Grand Master "D" record stood at 3 min 0.1 secs. Well I broke that, recording 2 min. 56.7 secs. for the Silver medal, but Mr. Cohen flew round in 2 min 40.9 secs.

The 200m heats were the next day, but I made a tactical decision to withdraw and not risk the adductor. It proved to be wise. Another guy withdrew with a problem and they ran a straight final with the third guy recording 30.1 secs. I would have been way off that pace.

My newfound "Nemesis", Mr Cohen, was contesting the 400m on the Saturday morning and I know how Roger Black must have felt, stepping on to the track with Michael Johnson every time. The other two guys from the first three in the 200 were also in the field, however, they did not have the 400m strength and so I managed another Silver in the wake of Mr. Cohen recording 73.38 secs.

The adductor was holding out OK, so I lined up for the 1500m that afternoon, along with – you guessed – George Cohen and a retired Customs mate and a couple of other older guys. I hadn’t beaten my mate for a few years over 1500m, so it looked like a bronze at best, and so it proved (with GC winning, of course). My time was a dreadful 6 min. 37.8 secs., but I am struggling with 1500s this season, not having had much background last winter. It was good to have two athletes from UK Customs on the podium together, even if neither of us had the top spot.

So, two silvers and a bronze was not a bad haul. The next Games are in Adelaide in March 2007. I had best begin my build up now, I think.

One of the older guys who finished behind me in the 1500m is 72 and from Boston. He ran in everything from the 400m to the half marathon, including the steeplechase. When he came into the Marshall’s tent for the 1500m, the lass checking us in said, "What, you again?"

He replied, "Well, when you get to my age, if you stop, they bury you." I guess that’s a fair philosophy to end on.

Dick Kneill Stoke AC Vets (or should it be Masters) Track & Field Team