ISLAND swimmer John Liron broke his 31st British record in the Swim Wales Masters Long Course Championships in Swansea.
The 75-year-old, who now lives in Cornwall, clocked a time of 42.27s in the men’s 75-79 50m breaststroke, while competing for Jersey Swimming Club. However, a bout of influenza prevented him achieving a better time – and another record – in 50m freestyle the next day.
It was the first time Liron had been competing in the pool since 2018, when he broke the men’s 70-74 European record in the men’s 50m freestyle, with a time of 30.41s at the British Masters Championships.
‘I was pleased to be back in the pool competing but I thought I might have needed a lifeguard just before I touched,’ he joked.
‘I was hoping to do a couple of seconds quicker. I was six-foot down on my normal time.’
The former fireman hopes to be back competing in this year’s British Masters but travel costs to Sheffield are a threat to his ambitions.
‘It’s a five-and-a-half hour drive each way, plus hotel accommodation,’ Liron explained. ‘And I don’t think I’ll be able to afford it, so it would be nice to get some sponsorship if it comes in.’
Liron started swimming competitively at the age of nine, but did not set foot in an indoor pool until he was 21.
Since then, he has competed all around the world, picking up gold medals in various events, including the World Firefighter Games in Las Vegas in 1994 and European Masters Championships in France in 2002. He has medalled in the World Masters Championships and has broken numerous British and European records in the various age categories since his early 50s.
Liron is now hoping to break some short-course records at the Cornish Masters on Sunday, although laser eye surgery the day before to event may scupper those plans.
