This 99-year-old swimmer gives youngsters a run for their money.
George Corones, who’ll be turning 100 years old in April, completed the 50m freestyle event in 56,12 seconds at an official event – a new benchmark for the 100-104 age category.
The fit grandfather, who only took up swimming at the age of 80 to get some exercise, surpassed the previous record, set in 2014, by an impressive 35 seconds.
“It was an exemplary swim for me, well balanced – and I was ready to hit the [wall] at the end very hard with my hand,” George says.
The event was reportedly staged just so the swimmer, who lives in Queensland, Australia, could challenge the record. He was the only participant.
The previous record of 1 minute 31,19 seconds was set by British swimmer John Harrison.
George also challenged the 100m freestyle record and beat it by a minute.
“At this age, it takes a while to get going. You get exhausted much more easily, but if you do it sensibly, the rewards are astronomical,” he says.
George also attributed his success to his pacing and technique.
“My first dozen strokes were well balanced, and the trick is to just carry it on progressively, putting a little bit of increasing effort in each stroke,” he says.
Source: Magazine Features
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