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Steve
& Cal Partington pictured
at Salford Quays less than half
an hour before the start of
Cal's big event. (ML)
Throughout
the development of Manx athletics
during the past forty years,
race walking has featured as
one of the events in which our
athletes have excelled.
During
this time no Manxman has ever
walked faster than Steve Partington
at 20km. No woman has ever walked
faster than Cal Partington.
Sunday
28 July, at the Manchester Commonwealth
Games, will not be remembered
as the highlight of their careers.
Steve was disqualified
and Cal retired.
I'm
sure neither athlete will seek
to blame anyone else for their
performances but we all know
we did not see the best of either
athlete. Quite apart from the
traumas of the past four years,
Cal was ill in the weeks and
months leading up to the games.
She had no wish to publicise
her anaemic condition and would
have been quite happy to withdraw
but was persuaded that she may
regret such an opportunity to
compete in Manchester. Three
judges thought Steve was in
breach of the rules but none
of the dozens of walkers in
the 16,000 I spoke to agreed.
In
four years time I hope we will
see the real Steve and Cal Partington,
Martin Aram nearing the peak
of his career and opportunities
for other athletes who came
close to making their mark this
time joining some of the young
talent only just being exposed.
The
2006 games planning starts now.
We don't even have four years
- they will be held in March
2006. We'll never all agree
on what the standards should
be but I hope that everyone
in athletics will rally around
and work together to ensure
the best ever performances.
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Bridget and Peter Kaneen
partying in Manchester on Saturday. Instead
of heading for Liverpool, they set of for
Blackpool. Rumour had it that Bridget was
hoping to open a face painting franchise
on Blackpool promenade - in fact they merely
got on the wrong train at Manchester Piccadilly.
Thanks to various train staff they eventually
arrived back on the Isle of Man about 5
hours late via Heysham.
Straight leg and loads of contact!
Steve Partington is pictured by Bridget Kaneen (top)
during the high point in the Commonwealth Games 20km
walk. He has just passed eventual 4th placer, England's
Andy Penn, before Steve slowed, Andy speeded up, Steve
threw up, Steve was dq'd and Andy had a career highlight.
Bottom pictured by the webmaster shows Steve gritting
his teeth during what is likely to be Manchester's hottest
day of the year.
Hugh Jones certainly measures up for
the job. 1982 London Marathon winner is not only the
official course measurer in London but also at the Commonwealth
Games. He had vivid memories of the 1979 Easter Festival
which he won. See inset and Chris
Quine's research.
Fellow competitor, Steve Partington,
captured Martin Aram's big day on camera. On the bench
with Martin are his high-jump colleagues Ben Challenger,
Boateng & Boswell (Canada) and the Nick Maroney
(Aus). As Steve put it: "Top company indeed!".
Meanwhile I've only scratched the
surface of my collection. At Salford Quays to support
Steve and Cal Partington were Michael Kneale, Elizabeth
Corran, Karen Kneale, baby Alexander, Sue & Tony
Forryan and Ruth Sadler.
Two of my pictures of
the early stages of the women's 20km walk
in the Commonwealth Games.
Martin Aram lining with for the high
jump final. He was pictured making Manx Commonwealth
Games history by Steve Partington who also took the
picture below of the full house at the stadium.
Amongst all the joy Bridget Kaneen
found double Comonwealth Games walking champio less
than ecstatic after his 20km win.
Gate crasher! Left to right 1978 Commonwealth
Games 30km walking champion Olly Flynn, 1974 Commowealth
Games 20 miles walking champion John Warhurst with Murray
Lambden who rarely got this close in a race. Cameraman
on this occasion was 5 times Olympic walker Chris Maddocks.
Part of the largest ever
crowd to assemble for a race walking event
in Britain at the Commonwealth Games 20km
walk - any this was nearly an hour after
the race finished as they waited for the
medal presentation.
Island Games thrower Louise
Kneen pictured in Manchester's Arndale Centre
during the Commonwealth Games. She was staying
for a week at Sale with the Western AC party.
Next Wednesday she celebrates her 28th birthday
(if you believe anything you read in chit
chat!) I won't win any prizes for taking
diplomacy - fancy taking a picture of an
athlete outside of Superdrug!
The Kenyan 10,000 metres
team at the Commonwealth Games by Steve
Partington. They finished first, second
and fourth but Steve thought they would
miss the start. He explained: "The
photo o was taken as they(and us) waited
for the bus to take them to the stadium.
(They were very relaxed!). We thought that
the 10km started at 7.35pm and couldn't
quite believe that they were only getting
the bus that arrived at the stadium at 7.15pm...
It turned out that the start had been moved
to 8.35pm, but I was getting concerned that
they'd miss it during the bus-ride."
STEVE TAYLOR'S
COMMONWEALTH GAMES QUIZ
- How
many different countries participated in this years games?
- What
is the capacity of the City of Manchester stadium?
- Who
has represented the Isle of Man the most times as a competitor at the CWG?
- How
many Commonwealth / Empire games have there now been?
- How
many medals were up for grabs at this years games? Team events = one
medal. Only one bronze per event even though it is shared in some events.
- Who
won the first Gold medal of the 2002 games?
- How
many times have the games now been held in the UK? Name the city and the
year?
- How
many different sports were represented at this years games?
- How
many medals have the Isle of Man won at all CWG?
- Name
the medal winners, sport and year?
- Who
has represented the Isle of Man the most times in any capacity at the CWG
and how many times?
- Who
was the first Manx competitor to ever take part in the CWG?
- What
was the name of the person who handed the Jubilee Baton to the Queen at
the beginning of this years games?
- Who
was the first Manx competitor to compete at this years games?
- What
is the highest position ever achieved by an athlete in the CWG? Who was
it? When was it and in what event?
- Name
the woman who has represented the IOM on the most occasions in any
capacity and how many times?
- How
many different venues were there for this years games?
- Alphabetically,
what are the first and last nations competing at this years games?
- In
which event did Ian Thorpe win a silver medal at this years games.
- Who
won the Dave Dixon award at this years games
THE PETER KANEEN
MYSTERY
What is Peter Kaneen covering
up in Manchester's Piccadilly Gardens after
earlier being told to put in away on threat
of arrest? Its much smaller than when he
had it out earlier.
Email answers to either
challenge to [email protected]
and I'll tell you what the prizes are when
I get back from my hols. Maybe Peter will
donate the prize money from his big 100
metres win this week!
Believe it or not, but I
had to introduce these two great British
walkers, five times Olympic walker Chris
Maddocks and John Warhurst at the Commonwealth
Games. John (right) looks little different
in this picture but the 1974 Commonwealth
Games champion now walks with the aid of
a walking stick. He was one of my
heroes when I started walking and I
was thrilled to receive my finishing certificate
from him at the English Schools walks at
Sheffield in 1976. His top level walking
came to an end in the early 80s just as
Chris was hitting the headlines. Although
John thinks he may have spoken to Chris
many years ago (and Chris is sure he did),
he was not confident enough to introduce
himself and I persuaded him to talk to Chris
through my introduction. Needless
to say their conversations over the weekend
were not short ones given the weight of
experience. I'm going to feature Chris
plenty more times yet but for this caption
I'll stick with John. He is not currently
involved in athletics at all. He offered
to help Sheffield AC and he was told he
would make a useful marshal. Somehow
I think his experience is undervalued.
John Watterson, who headed
up Isle of Man Newspaper's excellent Commonwealth
Games coverage, pictured lapping up the
sun at Salford Quays. (ML)
The crowd at the Commonwealth Games
50km was much smaller than at the weekend's 20km - but
you wouldn't think so to see them gathered for the presentation.
Colin Halsall
is certainly hard working but he is caught
chilling out a little in Steve Partington's
picture at the Commonwealth Games.
Western AC's Alan &
Stephanie Gault enjoyed a few days at the
Commonwealth Games as Alan's birthday present.
They are pictured by Murray Lambden on their
return journey.
This picture was taken
by a New Zealand TV cameraman after I had
congratulated 50km silver medalist Craig
Barratt. He had just completed an extensive
TV interview following up the live coverage
of the race - contrast with the BBC! There
is a Manx link to with Craig. Although coached
by New Zealander Graham Seatter, Manxman
Andy Garrett undertook a fair amount of
sports science work with him during a previous
visit down under. I've just realised that
the T-Shirt I chose to wear at a 50km walk
was nearly as inappropriate as taking a
picture of Louise Kneen in front of a Superdrug
logo!
And just when you thought
the photographs could not be any more
frightening we have this one. Who would
have thought that these three were once
athletic! Only joking - Graham Young, on
the right of the picture, represented the
Isle of Man with great distinction three
times in the Commonwealth Games. He is pictured
with Leicester Walking Club's Ronnie Atton
and the Lancashire walking club stalwart,
Fred Pearce.
Commonwealth games athletes,
Steve & Cal Partington, pictured with
coach, and team manager, Allan Callow about
30 minutes before the start of their events
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