World Masters Championships: 45 medal haul for NSW

6 Sept 2026

World Masters Championships: 45 medal haul for NSW

NSW athletes have won a remarkable 45 individual medals, including 17 gold, during the two week-long World Masters Athletics Championships in the southern Korean city of Daegu.

Winning multiple individual world titles, the stars for NSW were three women - Julie Forster, Rebekah Power and Sally Stagles, while the leading NSW male was Ron Schwebel with five medals.

Battling warm daily temperatures, NSW won 17 gold, 14 silver and 14 bronze medals. They helped Australia to second place on the medal table with 61 gold, 65 silver and 51 bronze, for a total of 177 medals. USA (G99/S64/B71/T234) led the medal tally, with Australia defeating Japan (G54/S61/B55/T170), Germany (G43/S27/B31/T101), GBR (G42/S27/B31/T99), Poland, Spain and France.

In total, 75 of the 106 competing nations won a medal. There was a staggering 10,349 competitors.

SALLY STAGLES

Recent winner of the NSW Athletics’ 2026 Most Outstanding Masters Female Athlete of the Year award, Sally Stagles really shone in Daegu. The Bateau Bay athlete who is a member of Mingara club moved into the 65-years age this year and defended her 2024 world title in the 300m hurdles, with a time 55.81 seconds. Such was her dominance, she won by over two seconds.

Two years ago at the 2024 World Championships Stagles just missed the podium in the 60-yeasr 80m hurdles, placing fourth. On that day in Gothenburg two years ago, American Joy Upshaw kept Stagles off the podium with the American claiming the bronze. But in Daegu it would be a different result. Running side-by-side with Upshaw, Sally Stagles took the world title in a super time of 13.46, just edging Joy Upshaw who clocked 13.52. The time also smashed the 19-year-old championships record time of 14.24 set in 2007. Stagles was not far outside the world record of 13.22 seconds.

Stagles was drafted into the 65y 4x100m relay. Two years ago in the 60-years they placed 4th, but this year they were unstoppable with Stagles anchored the team to a near three seconds win in a world record time of 56.88. They decimated the previous world record of 60.09 seconds.

JULIE FORSTER

While Sally Stagles was dominating the hurdles in the 65-year age, Springwood District/Blue Mountains Athletics Club member Julie Forster was clearing up the sprint titles. Forster went undefeated through the 100m and 200m rounds to claim gold in the finals in times of 14.12 and 29.25 respectively. In both events the podium was filled by Ireland’s Edel Maguire and Sally Stegales competition, American Joy Upshaw.

Forster then joined the all-conquering women’s 65-years 4x100m relay team, where she ran the second leg as they won gold and set a world record.

REBEKAH POWER

After winning silver and bronze medals at the 2024 World Championships, Albion Park’s Rebekah Power stepped it up in Daegu, winning the highly competitive 45-years sprint double. Negotiating heats, semis and a final in both events, Power won dual gold in thrilling races. In the 45-years 100m, where 28 athletes were competing, she was the quickest in the rounds, winning the final in a time of 12.61, from Switzerland’s Laura Torina-Imberti with 12.67. Power’s time was quicker than her silver medal winning effort in 2024 of 12.86.

The 200m was a closer battle for Power. She clocked 27.08 in the semi, going into the final ranked 5th. But in the final she stormed to victory with a time of 26.04, just edging Sweden’s Paulina Orell Shalberg with 26.06.

Between the 100m and 200m programs, Power ran second leg on the 45-years 4x100m relay, which had a close win over the US 50.52 to 50.96 seconds. After winning three gold medals, in her final event, the long jump, Power just missed the podium placing 4th with 4.99m.

RON SCHWEBEL

Winning five medals from five starts was an impressive record for Sydney Striders athlete Ron Schwebel in the 75-years age. Coached by Mike Lawson, the Beacon Hill-based athlete won medals on the track, on the road and over cross country. At the last world championships in 2024, he competed in seven events, winning silver in the XC relay team.

In Daegu, he started with silver in the 2000m steeplechase (10:11.78), followed by bronze the next day in the 10km road race (51:18). Four days later he won silver in the 5000m (23:26.27), followed by silver in the half-marathon (1:57.44) and closed his campaign with bronze in the 6km XC.

IN BRIEEF

There were many more NSW world champions and multi-medal winners, here is a summary (club/coach – if known):

NICKI DRINKWATER (UTS Norths, Ron Bendall) – GOLD 50y High Jump, SILVER Heptathlon, SILVER 4x100m, 4th 300m Hurdles, 5th 80m Hurdles,

LENORE LAMBERT – GOLD 55y 300m Hurdles, SILVER 80m Hurdles, SILVER High Jump

GAVIN MURRAY (Mingara) – GOLD 70y Weight Throw, SILVER Hammer Throw, 4th Throws Pentathlon, 6th Shot, 6th Discus, 5th Decathlon

SUKIE SOUTHERN (Manly Warringah, Tristan Conn) – GOLD 65y 4x100 relay, BRONZE 4x400m relay, 6th 200m, 4th 400m, semi 100m

ERNEST LESEBERG (Gosford) – GOLD 55y 200m, BRONZE 100m

PETER BYRNE (Hills/Steve Whelan) - GOLD 65y 5000m, 9th XC

MARK CONYERS (Kooringal – Wagga) – GOLD 70y 2000m steeplechase, 7th 800m, 9th 1500m

PHILIPPA WIGHT (Manly Warringah, Tony Morphis & Ilse Way) – GOLD 60y Pole Vault, BRONZE 4x100m, 7th 80m Hurdles, semi 100m

JANELLE DELANEY (Manly, Peter Crombie) – GOLD 55y 200m, DNF 400m (sustained an Achillies injury while leading final)

GURPREET KAUR (Glenwood) – GOLD 45y Javelin Throw

RYAN DOWLING (UTS Norths) – SILVER 45y 400m Hurdles, SILVER 4x400m, 5th 110mH

JILL TAYLOR (Cherrybrook, Ken Harradine) – SILVER 70y Weight Throw, BRONZE 70y Hammer Thow, BRONZE Throws Pentathlon, 4th Discus

MORGAN VOSILLA (Wallsend) – SILVER 35y Discus, SILVER Throws Pentathlon, BRONZE Shot, BRONZE Javelin

RACHEL GRUSCHKA – SILVER 40y Javelin Throw, DNF Heptathlon

JOHN CRANDELL (Wests) – SILVER 35y Javelin Throw

HELENA SMITH (UTS Norths) – BRONZE 45y Hammer Throw, 4th Weight Throw, 4th Throws Pentathlon, 10th Shot, 10th Discus

KELLY HUNTER – (Gosford, Stuart Farrant) – BRONZE 45y Discus, 8th Shot, 9th Throws Pentathlon, 9th Weight Throw

MICHEL HEMMINGS JONES (Balmain) – BRONZE 50y Discus

DARYL ELLIS (Mingara) – BRONZE 70y Triple Jump

KRISZTA KOVACS (UTS Norths) – BRONZE 50y 800m, 4th 1500m

ROBYN SUTTOR (Canterbury) – BRONZE 65y 300m hurdles, 5th 80m H, 8th 400m

KENNETH VUONG (Liverpool) – BRONZE 35y 100m, BRONZE 4x100m

KRZYSZTOF WARDECKI (Balmain) – BRONZE 55y 4x100m relay, 11th Long Jump, semi 100m, heat 200m

GABBI WATTS – SILVER 60y Weight Throw, BRONZE Throws Pentathlon, 4th Hammer Throw, 6th Discus

Thank you to Lisa Attenborough for assistance with the results.

David Tarbotton for NSW Athletics

Image: Sally Stagles (image courtesy of Jo Harlow)