Steve West, 47, Blasts 1:04.84 100 Breast, Lowering Own Masters World Record

2019 MISSION VIEJO SWIM MEET OF CHAMPIONS

47-year-old Steve West has done it again, this morning lowering his own month-old masters world record of 1:04.99 down to a 1:04.84 at the 2019 Mission Viejo Meet of Champions. West, who swims for Irvine Novaquatics Masters, has now broken the masters world record for the 45-49 age bracket in the 100 LCM breaststroke three times in the past 13 months.

In May at the 2019 NOVA Grand Challenge, West swam a 1:04.99 to lower the previous masters world record–also set by West–of 1:05.08 by 9/100ths. Splits for the race are currently unavailable.

Though West qualified 9th after prelims he has scratched finals and will not seek to improve upon his new record this evening. Leading the men’s 100 breaststroke tonight is 2016 Olympic champion in the 200 breaststroke, Kazakhstan’s Dmitriy Balandin (1:01.40), who is followed by China’s Yan Zibei (1:01.80). Tuscon-Ford’s Sam Ida and China’s Zhang Ruixuan tied for third with a 1:02.74.

In Saturday prelims West swam a 2:21.39 in the 200 breast to rank 13th among finals qualifiers, though he also scratched the finals of the longer distance.

In addition to his newly-improved 1:04.84-100 breast masters world record, West holds the 200 breast masters world records (LCM) in the 40-44 age group (2:18.57) and 45-49 age group (2:19.44). West’s feats also extend to SCM, where he holds both the 100 and 200 breast masters world records for both the 40-44 and 45-49 age groups, as well as 22 U.S. national breaststroke masters records.

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MichelleTheEconomist
5 years ago

Steve West, and many other Masters swimmers, are showing the world that the old beliefs about aging, strength loss, and capacity losses are both inaccurate and no longer applicable. Swimmers who have mostly trained and stayed in shape since college are posting incredible times. Steve’s time – at age 47 – is faster than every Olympic champion and the world record until the early 1970s when John Hencken broke the world record with 1:04.35 in 1973! West has paid his dues in swimming and has been extraordinarily good for a very long time. Congratulations to Steve West!

IUkicker
5 years ago

Jeff Commings, looks like a challenge:)

sherif ramses
5 years ago

Is this count according to FINA?
As I believe it should be in a masters championchip not Elite.
Otherwise the record of Micheal phelps in Rio should be counted in masters of age of 30/34?

Bo Swims
Reply to  sherif ramses
5 years ago

SMOC is a dual sanctioned meet… Phelps wasn’t registered as masters swimmer when he did those times.

NoFlyKick
5 years ago

Those meet the US Open QT in 100 & 200 Br.

luigi
5 years ago

I believe that Italian Carlo Travaini, born in ’63, swam it in 1:04.70

Ol' Longhorn
Reply to  luigi
5 years ago

LCM? Sure it wasn’t SCM? Either way, absurdly fast.

Ol' Longhorn
Reply to  luigi
5 years ago

I take it back. He went 1:05.1 LCM in 2018 at 55. Unreal.

JP input is too short
Reply to  luigi
5 years ago

That would not be in the 45-49 age group, if my math is not failing me.

DMacNCheez
Reply to  JP input is too short
5 years ago

Can confirm, 55 > 49. Good work

Luigi
Reply to  JP input is too short
5 years ago

Yes, JP. I was just noting that the WR in an older group is faster. He also has 30.02 in the 50 breast LC. And I believe other records in the IMs.

About Reid Carlson

Reid Carlson

Reid Carlson originally hails from Clay Center, Kansas, where he began swimming at age six with the Clay Center Tiger Sharks, a summer league team. At age 14 he began swimming club year-round with the Manhattan Marlins (Manhattan, KS), which took some convincing from his mother as he was very …

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