By Danny Daniels
One could say Pen Track’s Les East, 74, was ‘hammered’ at the B.C. Seniors Games in Kamloops, but not in the way that might describe having had too much to drink. Instead, it reflected on the different results from his two hammer throw performances in the track and field competition at the games.
In the open M70 event, his score sheet registered a zero, resulting from having his first three throws all wind up inside the throwing cage instead of making it out the front into the field where they could be measured.
“That was a first for me,” he said.
“But not the sort of one I was looking for. I’ve never had all no throws before.”
However, in the throws pentathlon event, in which all five throwing implements are used, he nullified the dismal performance by registering a hammer personal best with a huge toss of 32.53 meters.
More frustration would follow, though, as all three of his weight throw attempts landed outside the marked sector, so they too could not be countered. That meant a big loss of points for East in that event.
In spite of these woes, East did bring back two gold medals gained in the triple jump and high jump.
He also took the silver in the long jump (missing out on that gold by an agonizing one centimetre) and two bronzes, one for the discus and the other for the open weight throw, in which he did manage to stay between the lines.
Peggy Morfitt (W75) bagged three silver medals at the games, as she too scored a personal best in her hammer throw event. She also took second place in both the weight throw and the throws pentathlon and added bronze medals in both the discus and javelin competitions.
Newcomer Peter Auvinen (M60), competing for the first time after a 41 year absence from the track and field scene, secured a bronze in triple jump.
Over in Port Angeles, competing in the Olympic Peninsula Seniors Games, Jack Thornburgh (M70) won the 200m race, placed second in both the javelin and softball throw and took third in the high jump and long jump.