In 2026, Maurine Kornfeld of the United States made history. She became the first woman ever to set a World Aquatics-recognised Masters world record in the 105–109 age group.
She completed the long-course 50 metres backstroke in 2:05.63.
Lifelong performance capacity
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The record is far more than an extraordinary number. It represents lifelong movement, training, community and competition.
Masters swimming therefore offers clubs an enormous opportunity. It connects health-oriented sport with performance-focused training—and creates a sporting home that can last for decades.
Masters as a performance discipline in its own right
Masters swimming is still sometimes associated mainly with recreational or health sport. International record lists, however, show that it is an independent competition sector with clear performance goals.
Athletes train for national and international championships, plan season peaks and work on technique, strength and endurance. The difference from open elite sport lies less in sporting ambition than in the individual conditions and the need to adapt training to age.
Maurine Kornfeld's example shows just how long sporting activity can remain part of life.
What clubs can make of it
A good Masters programme can bring different performance levels together. Some members want to race at World or European Championships, others want to improve personal bests or simply train regularly in a structured way.
That does not necessarily require separate groups for every level. Differentiated tasks within shared sessions can be more useful—for example, different send-off times or distances while pursuing the same training objective.
For clubs, there is an additional benefit: swimmers remain connected to the sport for longer. Many Masters later also take on roles as coaches, officials or mentors. A strong Masters structure can therefore support the development of the entire club.
SCIENTIFIC SOURCE
https://www.worldaquatics.com/news/4537782/world-aquatics-masters-records-first-ever-womens-mark-set-in-105-109-age-group