Old, grizzly veterans break through age barriers

NEW YORK: Old for their sports, yet still vying to be at the top of their games, Tom Watson and Lance Armstrong showed that the skills that made them great when they were young haven't faded away with the years.

The 59-year-old Watson lost his bid to become the oldest British Open champion in a playoff on Sunday in Scotland. Meanwhile, the 37-year-old Armstrong clung to second place in his bid to win an eighth Tour de France.

"Age is certainly not a barrier" to competing at the highest levels, said Dr. Marc Philippon, a Vail, Colo., orthopedic surgeon whose pro athlete patients include Watson. "The added dimension of making history" probably helps them perform when the competition gets fierce, he said.