The Huntsman World Senior Games Track and Field Meet was held in St. George on Oct. 16 through Oct. 18.
Moab resident Wendy Dickson won bronze in the 50M and 100M races, while Moab resident Andy Pitas took gold anchoring the 4x100M relay, and gold, for the 11th straight year, in the standing long jump.
Injuries played a major role this year. Dickson had an arm injury which hindered her throwing ability in the javelin, discus and shotput events, and for the first time in 21 years, she did not medal in these events.
Pitas tore a hamstring three weeks before the meet and lost conditioning because of the three-week layoff. He chose to pass on the long jump to avoid re-injury, and had sub-par performances in the 50M and 100M, winning the standing long jump with the shortest jump of his career.
Sprinting, jumping and throwing are anaerobic power events. The line between full conditioning and injury is always a concern, as Usain Bolt demonstrated in the 2017 World Championships when he blew a hamstring anchoring the 4x100M relay.
Four medals is an off-year for the couple, but injuries often play a part in the game for power athletes.
Dickson and Pitas are being proposed for the Huntsman World Senior Games Hall of Fame.
