Kathy Bergen
Encyclopedia
Kathy Bergen is an American Masters athletics track and field
athlete. She is the current world record holder
in the W70 100 metres
and the high jump
. She also holds the Indoor World records for the W65 high jump, the W70 60 metres, 200 metres and high jump. And she holds the American record
for the W70 200 metres
and the W65 high jump. She is the oldest woman to break the 15 second barrier in the 100 metres.
She is also the first 70 year old woman to jump 1.30 meters in the high jump at USATF Masters Championships in Sacramento in 2010.
54 and a half years of age is not the normal time for someone to become an athlete. Even amongst senior athletes, where groups correspond with ages evenly divisible by 5, that would be disadvantageous. But the mother of five was not approaching the sport with high aspirations. Her only previous athletic pursuits was two years of high school basketball and doubles tennis with her husband Bert. She has also played on competitive tennis teams at the 4.0 level. It was chasing the ball in those tennis games that her husband noticed she was rather quick. Both of them went to the Pasadena
Senior Olympics
in 1994, where her relative speed vs other people in her age group showed up. By the end of 1996, she already held the W55 American record in the high jump. That's when she got serious. She now has a professional coach, who is used to working with athletes more than 50 years her junior.
In 2010, she set the W70 world record before an audience of thousands at the Mt. SAC Relays
.
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
athlete. She is the current world record holder
Masters Athletics World Records
These are the current world records in the various age groups of Masters athletics. Starting at age 35, each age group starts on the athlete's birthday in years that are evenly divisible by 5 and extends until the next such occurrence. For record purposes, older athletes are not included in...
in the W70 100 metres
100 metres
The 100 metres, or 100-metre dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, it is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896...
and the high jump
High jump
The high jump is a track and field athletics event in which competitors must jump over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without the aid of certain devices in its modern most practiced format; auxiliary weights and mounds have been used for assistance; rules have changed over the years....
. She also holds the Indoor World records for the W65 high jump, the W70 60 metres, 200 metres and high jump. And she holds the American record
United States records in masters athletics
These are the current American records in the various age groups of masters athletics. Starting at age 35, each age group starts on the athlete's birthday in years that are evenly divisible by 5 and extends until the next such occurrence. For record purposes, older athletes are not included in...
for the W70 200 metres
200 metres
A 200 metres race is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 m track, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques are needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first...
and the W65 high jump. She is the oldest woman to break the 15 second barrier in the 100 metres.
She is also the first 70 year old woman to jump 1.30 meters in the high jump at USATF Masters Championships in Sacramento in 2010.
54 and a half years of age is not the normal time for someone to become an athlete. Even amongst senior athletes, where groups correspond with ages evenly divisible by 5, that would be disadvantageous. But the mother of five was not approaching the sport with high aspirations. Her only previous athletic pursuits was two years of high school basketball and doubles tennis with her husband Bert. She has also played on competitive tennis teams at the 4.0 level. It was chasing the ball in those tennis games that her husband noticed she was rather quick. Both of them went to the Pasadena
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
Senior Olympics
Senior Olympics
The National Senior Games or "Senior Olympics" is a sports competition for seniors from the United States. It is a multi-sport event specifically devoted to adults aged 50+ . It is composed of regional competitions held yearly in all American states...
in 1994, where her relative speed vs other people in her age group showed up. By the end of 1996, she already held the W55 American record in the high jump. That's when she got serious. She now has a professional coach, who is used to working with athletes more than 50 years her junior.
In 2010, she set the W70 world record before an audience of thousands at the Mt. SAC Relays
Mt. SAC Relays
The Mt. SAC Relays are an annual track and field festival held primarily at Hilmer Lodge Stadium on the Mt. San Antonio College campus in Walnut, California. The relays, held in April each year, were started by then track coach Hilmer Lodge in 1959. The meet attracts all levels and disciplines of...
.