1948 Olympian Susan Halter, left, and new world record-holder Dorothy Williams. (Picture by Adrian Miller, 0551595)
NEW world records were set by 85-year-old Dorothy Williams at the OCS 17th Guernsey International Masters’ meet at Beau Sejour.
She set a new best for the 100m breaststroke in the 85 to 89 year age group with a time of 2min. 26.71sec., slashing the previous record of 2-29.90 by a Brazilian in 2000.
The veteran from Bournemouth, who grew up in Chiswick and swims for Kings Cormorants in London, also set a new world best in the 200m breaststroke. ‘I’m absolutely elated,’ she said on Saturday night. ‘I’m most surprised too – it’s a good feeling.’
It was her 16th visit to the Guernsey event – she has missed only one, due to a fracture.
‘There is something very special about this meet and it draws you back,’ she said.
‘I love this non-stop surround sound around the pool – it’s brilliant.’
‘It’s all about fun, friendship and fitness and it’s something that you can still compete in at my age. I just have a natural ability,’ she said.
A new British 50m butterfly record was also set by Hayley Bettinson from Camp Hill in Birmingham in the 45 to 49 group, when she eclipsed the old best by just 0.1sec.
Susan Halter, 81, who competed for Hungary in the 1948 Olympics in London, said: ‘I have been here at least five or six times. Everybody is friendly and it’s extremely well organised. I enjoy meeting everybody and it’s a very social event.’
She is the only person still involved in masters’ swimming who swam at the 1948 Olympics.
‘It keeps me in good health. I had a shoulder operation three years ago and got a bronze in the European Championships in the 200m backstroke in Slovenia last year,’ she said.
‘I won the 50m backstroke here and I can still win the Great Britain Championships in my 80 to 85 age group.’
Guernsey’s Island Games and Commonwealth Games swimmer Ben Lowndes, a former GB record holder in the 200m fly in the 19-24 age group, is 21 but classed as 22 for this event.
‘It’s good to watch and to see some world records broken – it’s good that the interest is still there.’
He was impressed by the older swimmers.
‘I will try and do it for as long as I can for fitness reasons. It’s good for your fitness and socialising as well. Everyone is so friendly and relaxed in a competition like this.
‘A couple of them have been talking to me about things they used to do – they have been teaching me old turns and I have never experienced anything like that,’ said Lowndes.
‘I’m just swimming at the event to see how my fitness is at the moment because I’m not doing much training. It’s my first big break since I started,’ he admitted.
‘There are no really big competitions this year so I thought I would have a break.
He will step up his training in a bid to participate in the Island Games in Aland and Commonwealth Games in India.
‘I’m going to defend my Island Games title in the 100m IM [individual medley] next year and I would like to try for the Commonwealth in 2010. All my mates are going out all the time, but sacrifices have to be made,’ he stressed.
It was the 10th consecutive visit to the event for 68-year-old Spanish swimmer Joaquin Canales de Mendoza.
‘It’s nice people and a nice atmosphere. My wife is English and her family used to come to the island for a holiday,’ he said.
‘I’m winning my age group. I have swum four races and won four.’
‘I had a European record in the 100 fly in Madrid in the pool where the 1986 World Championships were held,’ he said proudly.
He is not surprised at the age of some swimmers.
‘In Spain we have one lady of 96 in the Canary Islands who is still kicking and she does not miss one competition
Event organiser John Eyre was again delighted with how the event went.
‘It’s going very well,’ he said.
‘There are many here who are going to Perth in three weeks time for 10 days of swimming at the worlds.’
Article posted on 17th March, 2008 - 2.29pm
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