Among the local athletes was Jeanie Seymour from Aberdeen who competed in the athletics for the 45 to 49-year-old age group and came 11th in Javelin, eighth in long jump, 12th in discus, seventh in triple jump, 14th in shot-put and seventh in high jump.

Seymour said the discus competition had the largest field with 27 competitors.

She said this was the first world masters that she has competed at; she said she mainly went because the event was held locally.

“It was very, very competitive,” Seymour said.

“It was a big reality check.

But Seymour said she had fun and particularly enjoyed the opening ceremony.

“It was a pleasure to walk into the ANZ stadium and parade our colours and nationalities.”

Aberdeen resident Gary Watson played on the Canberra over 55s team in touch football.

Watson usually plays on a Muswellbrook touch football team with Ronny Baxter who also played on Watson’s team at the world masters.

Watson has been playing touch football for more than 35 years and said this was the second world masters that he has competed at.

Bev Adams has had previous successes at Masters games previously, but this year did not do as well.

“I hadn’t been in competition for a long while and I had a hip replacement two years ago,” Adams said.

“It was a test to see if I should get back into it,” she said.

Despite mixed results, Adams has regained some of her enthusiasm and bought a hammer and a discus following her competitions.

“It was inspiring, it was great to see the girl from Bulgaria,” she said.

“I was a little disappointed in the first few days but they had been training for months, but I didn’t make up my mind to go until six weeks before the event.

“I’m thrilled I went.”Paul Bryden of Scone also went and competed in javelin and discus and made the finals in both events.

Bryden came sixth in javelin and eighth in discus and he said it was his best javelin throw in three years. “It was a really friendly games and there were great people,” Bryden said.

“I was reasonably pleased with how I went, I was at the end of my age group,” he said.