World Record Shattering 240+ Year Old Swimming Relay Team Make Another Milestone - EssentiallySports

Nov 09, 2024

Nov 8, 2024 | 9:43 AM PST

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Is age truly just a number when it comes to breaking world records in sports?

In a rather unexpected show of speed, Swim Melbourne Masters has just broken two world records. And that too in the 240+ age group for relay swimming. Now, what does “240+” even mean? It is called that simply because the swimmers’ ages add up to at least 240 years. Over the last few weeks, quite a bit went down in the swimming world, with swimmers like Leon Marchand, Regan Smith, and Kate Douglass making records. While that was exciting, something equally special just happened in Australia with the 240+ swimmers.

A group of women went on to break an age-old swimming record! Over the weekend, Kelly Parker-Palace, Zena Courtney, Joan Wheeler, and Erika Braun went on to swim the AQUA Masters relay. The team participated in two races, the 800m relay and the 400m relay. And guess what? They broke the AQUA Masters relay world records in both!

In the 400m relay, the team went on to clock 4:27.30. This broke the 2015 record! At the South African Masters Championships, the team of Sanderina Kruger, Judy Brewis, Cecilia Stanford, and Dianne Coetzee went on to clock 4:47.03 and make the world record. As of now, that stands changed. But that’s not the only record to change!

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The 800m relay was also a record-breaking swim for the Braun team! The team went on to break a record made at the Bumpy Jones Classic. The team of American swimmers, including Maureen Hughes, Pat Sargent, Danielle Ogier, and Jeannie Mitchell, clocked 11:30.92 to make the world record. Erika Braun and the team have broken that record by clocking 9:48.51! Now that is truly the proof to say, ‘age is just a number’! So, who exactly are these women of will?

Let’s meet the Masters team! First up on the list, there is Kelly Parker-Palace. Kelly is from Florida and is no stranger to the Masters swimming wins. She has been a part of nearly 880 meets and has multiple All-American Honors on her resume. She’s got five current and 7-lifetime individual pool records. If that wasn’t enough, Kelly also has a bunch of relay records. However, she is not the only one who had a brilliant portfolio before the swim!

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There is also Zena H Courtney, who has made 535 swims and 283 top-ten individual finishes! She, too, is a two-time All-American in relay swimming and holds 9 lifetime relay records. But that’s not all! The team also has Joan Wheeler, who is a more recent addition to the Swim Melbourne Masters team. But don’t the word new fool you!

Is age truly just a number when it comes to breaking world records in sports?

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Joan has nine individual top-ten finishes and 25 relay finishes that are worth remembering. Additionally, she too is a two-time All-American! Last but not least, there is Erika L Braun. Perhaps one of the more familiar names on the roster. Erika currently holds 20 current individual pool records and 35 relay records. Talk about a champion! She also has 381 individual top-ten finishes and 144 relay finishes on her portfolio. Additionally, she also holds another world record!

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In 2015, at the Bumpy Jones Classic, Erika was part of the record-breaking team. She, alongside Jen Stringer, Alicia Uhl, and Kerry Lindauer, went on to clock 4:06.90 in the 400m relay. This was the world record for the 160-199 age category. Erika is a legend in her merit, and if anything, this is just another record on her long list. Together, these women have broken the glass ceiling of ageism and created history.

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