8/7/2014
INDIANAPOLIS -- Olympian and Masters Track athlete Ed Burke has been named USATF’s Athlete of the Week after his record-setting performance at the 2014 USA Masters Throws Championships on August 2-3 at the College of Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts.
Burke (Los Gatos, California) won the M70-74 Ultraweight Throws Pentathlon with a record-setting 5,051 points, breaking his own American record by 371 points. He also broke his record in the Superweight with a toss of 11.67m/38-3 on his last attempt, just beating the former mark of 11.66m/38-3. He made it a clean sweep by winning the M70-74 Throws Pentathlon, scoring 4,606 points, winning the hammer (49.28m/168-8), discus (39.54m/129-9) and weight throw (18.51m/60-8.75).
“I’ve been trying to get 5,000 for a while,” Burke said. “I figured if I could throw a reasonable hammer that I’ve been improving in the other throws that I could get it. You just never know too, sometimes you just catch one in the wind. I just go out there and try to have fun and beat myself. I can’t believe it (on being named USATF’s Athlete of the Week). It’s an amazing feeling, I’m honored and thrilled.”
Burke was a three-time Olympian in the hammer throw, competing in the 1964, ‘68, and ‘84 Games. He was named Team USA’s flag bearer at Los Angeles in 1984. Burke won the M70 hammer throw (52.35m/171/9) and weight throw (19.85m/65-1) at the 2014 USATF Masters Outdoor Championships in Winston-Salem.
Other notable athletes from this week include:
Derek Thomas (Blackfoot, Idaho) ran a 2:01.11 to claim first in the 13-14 boys 800m at the Hershey’s Track and Field Games, breaking the meet record of 2:03.06. Runner-up Beau Brannan (Bismarck, North Dakota) also broke the meet record with a 2:01.21.
John Goldhammer (Claremont, California) won the M60-64 Throws Pentathlon on Saturday, sweeping all five events (hammer, 57.80m/189-7, shot put, 13.96m/45-9.75, discus, 51.97m,170-6, javelin, 38.14m/125-1, weight, 21.52m/70-7.25) en route to a record setting 4,836 points. He closed out his weekend by destroying the American Superweight record (10.92m/35-10) with a 11.11m/36-5 toss.
Shalane Flanagan (Portland, Oregon) ran a 31:27 in the Beach to Beacon 10K in Maine as she finished just inches behind winner Gemma Steel of Great Britain. This was her first race on her quest to break the American record in the marathon at next month’s Berlin Marathon.
Now in its 13th year, USATF’s Athlete of the Week program is designed to recognize outstanding performers at all levels of the sport. USATF names a new honoree each week and features the athlete on www.usatf.org. Selections are based on top performances and results from the previous week.
2014 Winners: January 15, Chris Derrick; January 22, Galen Rupp; January 29, Galen Rupp; February 5, Alexa Efraimson; February 12, Mike Rutt; Feb. 19, Bernard Lagat; Feb. 26,Sharon Day-Monroe; March 3, David Torrence; March 13, Francena McCorory; March 19, Irene Obera; March 26, Duane Solomon; April 2, Maria Michta; April 7, Noah Lyles; April 14, Kendell Williams; April 21, Meb Keflezighi; April 28, Kristi Castlin; May 7, Maria Michta; May 14, Erik Kynard; May 21, Emma Coburn; May 28, Brenda Martinez; June 2, Galen Rupp; June 9, Tori Bowie; June 16, Trayvon Bromell; June 23, Charles Austin; June 30, Devon Allen, July 7, Kaylin Whitney; July 14, Emma Coburn; July 21, Florence Meiler; July 28, Kaylin Whitney; August 4, Ed Burke.
About USATF
USA Track & Field is the National Governing Body for track and field, long-distance running and race walking in the United States. USATF encompasses the world's oldest organized sports, some of the most-watched events of Olympic broadcasts, the country’s No. 1 high school and junior high school participatory sport and more than 30 million adult runners in the United States. For more information on USATF, visit http://www.usatf.org/.
Tyler Stevenson
Communications Intern
Tyler.Stevenson@usatf.org
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