Last week I dived into the wonderful world of masters swimming and looked at some of the most impressive world records on the men's side. This week it's time to do the same but this time counting down the 5 ladies' swims that have caused my jaw to drop the most.
Of course, every single world record is impressive, that's of course why they are a world record but I think the following five I am about to run though truly deserve this special mention. However, I do recommend you head over to the World Aquatics website and have a gander at the full lists, it's a lot of fun!
Jane Asher 90-94 200 Free 3:52.96 (LCM)
Jane is a British Masters Swimming Legend. Born in Rhodesia, grew up in South Africa and is now a UK resident, she's been obliterating masters world records for almost 40 years (since she swam in the 50-54 category in 1986). I found a Swimming Hall of Fame Post that mentions Jane has set 52 World Records but I think that number is a little dated and since then there has been a lot more. In fact I am pretty sure that number is now well over 100...
I talk a lot about persevering in swimming and how a lot of people quit too early or before their peak so listen to this. Jane's first swim meet was in 1948 (at 17) and her first world record was 38 years later... Jane is now 93 and has already kicked off her 2025 competition campaign in a variety of races. I wanted to include her on this list and of all her many world records, I thought this 200 freestyle LCM is particularly impressive. To come in under 4 minutes in your 90s is just amazing and I am glad I have been able to share the pool deck with Jane.
One last little fact I particularly like is that in British Swimming we all have a membership number. Mine is 209343. Some of the top up-and-coming swimmers such as British Jr Record holder in Breaststroker Max Morgan have a number in the millions (1242468). Jane Asher is number 29. Pretty cool hey. There were just 28 members before Jane.
Dara Torres 35-39 50 Free 25.10 (SCM)
Dara Torres has probably had the most longevity of any elite swimmer in history. Dara won her first Olympic title swimming on the US medley relay in 1984. She was just 17 years old. A young superstar. An individual medal took a little longer. 16 years later at 33, Dara won 3 individual bronze medals (plus some relay golds) at the Sydney Olympics. I have shared enough information that you should already be very impressed. 33 years old made Dara the oldest woman to win a medal at the Olympics in a swimming event. But we are just getting started in Dara's career.
After a break from swimming Dara would make a second comeback (2000 was her first comeback), after giving birth to her first child in 2007 and continued competing until 2012. In that time she would achieve so much. The highlight would surely be the 24.07 she swam in the final of the 2008 Beijing Olympics to finish second. It was a new American record at the time (and consequently a personal best). Dara was 41... This was the highest individual accomplishment of her entire career. While Dara swam at 5 Olympics, she only swam at two World Championships (LCM). The first was in 1986, and the second was in 2009. I can't exaggerate enough how hard making a US team is and how much more crazy it is to do it at 42. Then again it's less of a surprise when she is defending Olympic silver medalist.
While Dara did not make a 6th Olympics in 2012 at the age of 45, she came VERY close. A ridiculous time of 24.82 would end up just 0.09 shy of 2nd place and an Olympic birth but nonetheless, I think it is one of the most impressive "masters feats". Had that been at a masters meet and therefore been counted as a masters world record, it would be without doubt number one on this list.
Sadly, although I am not sure if that is the right word as we have had no shortage of time to enjoy Dara's swimming, she only has two official masters world records. These came in 2006 during her hiatus at a SCM meet in the 50 & 100 free. While by masters standards they are incredible times, they are pretty pedestrian by Dara's standards. 25.10 is of course rapid in the 50 free (in the 35-39 age group) but a year after that swim, Dara now 40, would swim over a second faster, going 23.82 at a World Cup. The world record in the 40-44 category is 26.02, a brilliant swim in its own right by another legend, Erika Braun.
In the long course 50 free the fastest masters world record is in the 25-29 category, a swift 25.37 by Missy Cundiff. Dara swam 24.07 while 41 (40-44 WR is 26.44) and 24.82 at 45 (45-49 WR is 26.59). I know I am about to open a massive can of worms but I think I would like to see these swims recognised in some way.
I do think a line has to be drawn between masters and elite competitions and I do think the younger categories (25-29, 30-34 and even 35-39) would be spoiled if everyone at the Olympics in the age groups automatically got the masters world records but I think there is a point when you get over 40 and are still world-class (Nicholas Santos, Gabby Rose & Dara Torres) that it would be cool to not have these feats forgotten. Regardless of what's official and what's not, Dara was and probably still is, incredibly fast at swimming!
*I am also aware that rules and environments are different at masters meets
Kalis RASMUSSEN 100-104 100 IM 4:55.52 (SCM)
I just couldn't overlook the fact that Kalis swam a 100m individual medley at over 100 years old. To clarify that is a length of each stroke, including butterfly, in her 100s..... No other man or woman in history has ever competed in a swimming race that includes any amount of butterfly over the age of 100!
Kalis was born in Norway and now resides in Canada (where she broker all her records). She swam as an age grouper but had to put that on hold due to World War II. She started competing again in 2000 and has broken world records for backstroke, breaststroke and IM since.
This 100 IM WR was set in November last year and Kalis is very much still competing. She trains 3-4 times a week and does her own thing (there is a correlation between training on your own and masters world records). I look forward to hopefully seeing more success from Kalis in the future!
Janet Evans 40-44 400 Free 4:22.87 (LCM)
If names like Dara Torres weren't big enough for this list, how about we throw in Janet Evans. With 21 international titles including 4 Olympic golds, Janet was the trailblazer in women's distance freestyle in the 1980s that Katie Ledecky was in the 2010s. At the ages of 17 & 18 (in 1988/89), Janet reset the world records in the 400, 800 & 1500 freestyle that would all stand for nearly 20 years. It took a generational talent in Rebecca Adlington wearing a full-body Speedo LZR Racer to finally break her 800m mark in 2008, 19 years after Janet swam her mark.
After swimming at the 1996 Olympics, we would not see Janet in action again until 2010, when she got back in the pool for some masters action. In 2011 she would set the World Record for the 400 & 800 Free with truly exceptional times of 4:22 & 8:59 and with them already having stood for 13 years, I think these could last a lot longer than her original WRs from the late 80s. Janet's "comeback" did eventually lead her to swim at the 2012 Olympic trials just like Dara did, swimming in the heats of the 400 free.
Gabby Rose 45-49 100 Breast 1:12.34 (LCM)
Gabrielle Rose was one of my favourite storylines of the US Olympic trials last year (2024). At 46 years old she swam a truly mind-boggling 1:08.32 to finish 10th in the semi-finals of the fastest and most deep domestic competition in swimming history. This was an all-time personal best for Gabby (as was her 50 & 200 at the same meet).
What makes all of this more mind-boggling is Gabby is not some late starter who didn't take swimming all that seriously in her youth. Gabby was an Olympic finalist (in the 200 IM) as well as a two-time world champion on freestyle relays. Her last international meets were in 2003 but here she is 21 years later swimming faster than ever before.
Unfortunately, like Dara her masters records in the 100 & 200 breaststroke (1:12 & 2:39) don't match her 45-49 age group bests of 1:08 and 2:30 but regardless they are still mind-blowing fast and I think 1:12 deserves to top this list in its own right.
Gabby recently swam a sub 60 in the 100y breast at a USMS meet in December 2024 which is just about as impressive as the 68 LCM and and probably the most broken US Masters records on the books.
It looks like Gabby is still very actively competing in elite and masters meets alike and I would be surprised if she resets a heap of the masters marks shortly...
you can also set lifetime bests
I hope reading about these successes has inspired you. Someone like Gabby is not only setting personal bests at 46 but is doing so at a world-class level. If that doesn't open your eyes up to what is possible I am not sure will.
If you have found yourself to be getting slower and given it the blame of ageing or just lack of fitness, I think these are just lazy excuses.
With the right training, I don't doubt you can get faster. Instead of doing masters club sessions that don't have any goal, aren't specific and revolve around pointless aerobic volume, you can follow a training plan that actually is specific to you and your goals and can lead to success for you! I have helped 100s of masters swimmers all around the world do just this.
If you do want this then I recommend checking out training Memberships on the following link:
I also have a range of other programs that are designed to get the best out of your swimming.
Comments