World record set in Luxembourg by 85-year-old Englishwoman
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The unveiled Sochi 2014 Olympic Gold Medal is displayed during an IOC executive board meeting at the SportAccord International Convention in St. Petersburg, on May 30, 2013. The Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics organisers unveiled today the medals for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games. AFP PHOTO / KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEVKIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP/Getty Images ORIG FILE ID: 520158322
An 85-year-old Englishwoman set a new world record at the Lux Masters Open Swimming meet this weekend at the Campus Geesseknäppchen.
Jane Asher swam the 400m freestyle in 7:03.60, a new record for the 85-89 age group.
It’s not the first record for the Wimbledon resident: in 2006, she swam the 50m freestyle in just 34.85, a record for her then-age group of 75-79. She set a record for the next age group (80-84) as well for that swim again in 2012, swimming at 38.60.
She had previously set another record for the 400m freestyle as well in Riccione, Italy, in 2012, when she swam 6:40.11, a record for the 80-84 age group.
Asher, who is the mother of four and has 11 grandchildren, trains regularly with the King’s Cormorants SC. She lost her husband when she was 60 years old and has lived up to her promise to him to “do what she must do”.
In addition to training four times per week, she is keen on learning languages, meeting people from all walks of life and travelling with her family–preferably to spots where water is nearby so she can keep up with her training.