© Copyright – 2010 – Christopher Kelsall

Even though Diane Cummins's 800m performance at the Victoria International Track Classic was electric, no one can blame her for being a little conflicted.

Cummins won the 800m event, a race she chose to compete in despite her concentrating on the 1500m distance. Not only did she win but she also ran the fastest time in Canada this year, leading Alice Schmidt of the US with her 2:03.02 and new Victorian Lemlem Ogbasilassie, who also ran a personal best time of 2:03.53. Commonwealth qualification standard is 2:01.92.

After competing for Canada internationally for more than ten years, Cummins missed the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics with injury-plagued performances that just didn’t allow her to make standard. In 2009 Athletics Canada posthumously dropped her for being too old, cutting off her funding. She is 36-years of age and will be 38 for the 2012 London Olympics.

“I was told by Athletics Canada that I was too old,” Cummins said. “You cannot determine the end of my career; I will be the one to decide that.”

Adding further to the confliction was her passing up the opportunity to go to South Africa to watch the 2010 World Cup of Soccer semi-final match between Spain and Germany. She chose to stay in Canada and race in front of her hometown fans. Cummins who is a Victoria crowd favourite once again endeared herself to the audience by telling them during her post-race, track-side interview that she chose to compete at the Victoria International Track Classic over watching the 2010 World Cup match live, to a loud and appreciative cheer.

“I so much wanted to be in South Africa and experience what sport can do to lift a country,” said Cummins.

She currently holds the Canadian 800m record with her 1:58.39, which she ran in 2001. She has run at least 16 sub-2:00 800m races while representing Canada.

On Monday, Cummins ran to within 1 second of the required qualifying time in the 1500m distance at the Harry Jerome meet in Vancouver.

Adding to the irony Cummins said, “when I was focusing on the 800, I ran a fast 400 and it was suggested I concentrate on that distance, now that I have been concentrating on 1500 I ran a good 800. “

Providing she finishes top-4 at the Canadian Championships, later this month in Toronto, Cummins is unexpectedly off to the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games in October to represent Canada in the 800m distance. What’s old is new again.

In other events, Jessica Zelinka of Calgary and 2008 Beijing 5th place finisher in the Heptathlon finished second to Angela Whyte in the 100m hurdles in 13.30. Whyte, consistently one of Canada’s top hurdlers and a two-time Olympian won the event in 13.11.

Dylan Armstrong of Kamloops, a top-five Beijing athlete has medal aspirations for Delhi this fall, he won the men’s shot put last night with a heave of 20.52 metres. World No. 8 Russ Winger of the U.S. was second at 19.53 metres and Amin Nikfar, a Cal Berkeley NCAA alumni and 2008 Beijing Olympian for Iran, was third at 19.41.

In the 1500m Men’s International, former University of Victoria Vike, Geoff Martinson nearly qualified for Delhi – missing the standard by 1 second with his 3:40.92. In that same race there were several personal bests including Comox Valley’s Cameron Levins’ 3:43.20 who red-shirted for NCAA Division 1, Southern Utah University this year placing 4th to 2nd place finisher Daniel Castle of the US with his 3:42.09 and Canadian Matthew Hulse in 3rd with his time of 3:42.63.

Full results.

Photo credit: Arnold Lim Photography

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Contact Chris: chriskelsall@flocasts.org