2022 Southern Pacific Masters Swimming Short Course Meters Championships
- December 2-4, 2022
- Long Beach, California
- Short Course Meters (25 meters)
- Results on Meet Mobile: “2022 SPMS Short Course Meters Championships”
Swimming Hall of Famer Laura Val was back to her record-setting ways last week at the Southern Pacific Masters Swimming Short Course Meters Championships.
Val, who is famous for setting six Masters World Records in a single race in 2011, broke six more at last weekend’s meet – though not in that same singular fashion.
Swimming in the 70-74 age group, Val swam the 50 free (30.55), 100 free (1.06.61), 50 back (33.80), 100 back (1.13.66), 50 fly (34.53) and 100 IM (1.18.81) in record times. This is Laura’s second year in the age group and of note is that every record she broke was her own, set in her first year as a 70-year-old.
A 2004 inductee to the International Swimming Hall of Fame, Val currently holds 54 different Masters World Records, and its estimated that she has broken nearly 450 records individually in her carer, plus relays.
Val wasn’t the only big-name swimmer in attendance. Gabrielle Rose, who represented both Brazil and the US internationally, broke a World Record of her own in the 200 breaststroke. Swimming in the 45-49 age group, she swam 2:34.77 That whacked almost nine seconds off the former World Record that was set by South African Heather Morris-Eyton in 2013.
Even though Rose is 45, that time was also faster than the 40-44 and 35-39 records. She also broke her own 45-49 record in the 200 IM from August, swimming a 2:19.30.
As an elite, which included the 1996 Olympic Games for Brazil and the 2000 Olympic Games for the US, Rose was primarily an IMer and freestyler. She won World Championship gold medals by swimming prelims legs on the American 400 and 800 free relays at the 2003 World Championships after changing her sporting citizenship.
Matt Biondi and Jeff Farrell, both Olympians, swam as well. Biondi swam the 400 Freestyle in addition to the 50
Well, Val did just as good and while she went to the trials in 68 she was not in the Olympics. Anyone that does her times at 70 deserves the mention. She has records in fly, back, Free, and Im and has swim a 50 yard breaststroke and was rank 2nd in that event in her age group. Its her weakness stroke. I don’t know if Farrell and Biondi have swam i breaststroke in these masters meets.
Gabrielle represented Brazil in the 1996 Olympics. In 2000 Gabrielle represented the USA and placed 7th in the 200 IM finals.