News Summary
Olympic legend Mary T. Meagher, competing as Mary Plant, has shattered the masters world record in the women’s 60-64 category for the 200-meter butterfly with a time of 2:39.31. Achieved at the SPMS SW Zone LCM Championships, Plant’s performance showcased her impressive return to competitive swimming since her retirement after the 1988 Olympics. With this record-breaking swim, Plant continues to inspire the swimming community with her endurance and commitment to the sport.
Mission Viejo, California – Olympic legend Mary T. Meagher, now competing under the name Mary Plant, has officially broken the masters world record in the women’s 60-64 category for the 200-meter long course butterfly. Plant achieved an impressive time of 2:39.31, surpassing the previous record of 2:41.03 set by Laura Val in August 2011. This remarkable feat took place during the SPMS SW Zone LCM Championships held over the weekend.
The 60-year-old former Olympic swimmer has made a remarkable return to competitive swimming since retiring after the 1988 Olympic Games. Plant’s latest performance marks her fourth officially recorded meet since re-entering the sport within the masters category. In the recent event, she won the heat by 2.40 seconds and dominated her age group by a staggering margin of 1 minute and 36.97 seconds.
During her record-breaking race, Plant showcased exceptional pace, recording negative splits for each 100 meters. She clocked 36.62 seconds for the first 50 meters and slightly improved to 36.59 seconds for the second 50 meters. Her closing splits were recorded at 44.10 and 42.00 seconds for the last two 50 meters of her 200 fly race, emphasizing her endurance and racing strategy.
Just a day prior to her historic swim, Plant competed at the Augusta Blue Tides Dog Days of Summer Masters Meet, where she won the 50 butterfly in a time of 31.27 seconds, the 100 butterfly in 1:09.59, and also took first place in the 200 butterfly with a time of 2:45.99. Earlier in March, she had also set competitive times of 28.34 seconds, 1:04.03, and 2:29.84 in yards for the same events during her first recorded long course swims after returning to competition.
Plant’s recent performances rank her at the top of the national standings in her age group for her respective events, often by large margins in both long course and yard swims. In her swimming career, she was previously instrumental in establishing a legacy in the sport, having held world records in both the 100-meter butterfly and the 200-meter butterfly during her early years of competition, setting those records at ages 15 and 14 respectively. Remarkably, her 200 butterfly time of 2:05.96 from 1981 still stands as the U.S. National Age Group Record, which has remained unbroken for 44 years.
Throughout her illustrious professional career, Plant amassed five Olympic medals, including gold medals in the 100 butterfly, 200 butterfly, and 400 medley relay during the 1984 Olympics. She has also secured nine World Championship medals, two of which are gold. The year 2024 marked a resurgence in swimming as it was the first time since 2009 that at least 50 world records were set in the sport. This trend of breaking records continued into the following year, as seen in the 2025 World Championships, underscoring the strength and competitive nature of the swimming field.
Additionally, Plant’s recent achievements align with a trend in masters swimming, as fellow competitor Charlotte Davis also broke multiple records in a separate recent event, emphasizing the high level of performance within this age group. Such performances not only highlight the endurance and commitment of athletes like Plant but also serve to inspire many within the swimming community.
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- SwimSwam: Mary T. Meagher Sets Masters World Record
- SwimSwam: Mary T. Wins 3, Jen Mihalik Breaks World Record
- The Bookseller: DK to Publish Mary Berry’s Memoir
- Lou Today: History of Swimmer Mary T. Meagher
- Swimming World Magazine: 40 Years On, Mary T. Meagher Shares Memories
- Wikipedia: Mary T. Meagher
- Google Search: Mary T. Meagher
- Google Scholar: Mary T. Meagher
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Mary T. Meagher
- Google News: Mary T. Meagher
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MISSION VIEJO STAFF WRITER The MISSION VIEJO STAFF WRITER represents the experienced team at HEREMissionViejo.com, your go-to source for actionable local news and information in Mission Viejo, Orange County, and beyond. Specializing in "news you can use," we cover essential topics like product reviews for personal and business needs, local business directories, politics, real estate trends, neighborhood insights, and state news affecting the area—with deep expertise drawn from years of dedicated reporting and strong community input, including local press releases and business updates. We deliver top reporting on high-value events such as Oso Fit 5K Fun Run and Community Health Fair, Walk Against Drugs & Community Fair, and National Night Out. Our coverage extends to key organizations like the Mission Viejo Chamber of Commerce and Providence Mission Hospital Mission Viejo, plus leading businesses in retail and education that power the local economy such as The Shops at Mission Viejo, Capistrano Unified School District, and Amazon Delivery Station. As part of the broader HERE network, including HEREAnaheim.com, HEREBeverlyHills.com, HERECostaMesa.com, HERECoronado.com, HEREHollywood.com, HEREHuntingtonBeach.com, HERELongBeach.com, HERELosAngeles.com, HERESanDiego.com, and HERESantaAna.com, we provide comprehensive, credible insights into California's dynamic landscape.
