Mary T. Plant, alongside Erika Braun and the St. Pete Masters Swimming team, has made waves by breaking world records at the recent Rowdy Gaines Masters Classic, igniting excitement in the swimming community.
Taking place from January 30 to February 1, 2026, this significant event unfolded at the Rosen Aquatic and Fitness Center in Orlando, Florida. Competitors swam in a short course meters format, with live results available for fans and participants alike.
Having returned to competitive swimming after a long hiatus, Olympic champion Mary T. Plant has quickly established herself as a formidable presence in Masters swimming. At this year’s 17th annual Rowdy Gaines Masters Classic, she made headlines by switching her club affiliation to St. Pete Masters. According to new regulations from U.S. Masters Swimming (USMS), athletes are permitted to change their club affiliation up to three times each year before being locked into that choice until the following year.
St. Pete Masters is renowned for hosting some of the nation's top Masters swimmers. On the first day of the meet, the team collaborated to break the world record in the 800 SCM freestyle relay by an astounding 15 seconds. Plant kicked off the relay with an impressive time of 2:15.70, followed by Alison Hayden (2:23.04), Erika Braun (2:16.24), and Penny Noyes (2:36.15). Their collective time of 9:31.13 shattered the previous world record of 9:46.31, which had been held by the British club Harrogate since October 2024, targeting the aggregate age group of 240-279.
The impressive swimmers who set this new record—Plant, Hayden, Braun, and Noyes—are proof that age is just a number, with their ages being 55, 54, and 72 respectively, based on their age as of this year.
Yet Plant wasn’t done once the relay concluded. The following day, she returned to showcase her prowess in the 200 meter butterfly, clocking a remarkable 2:36.16. This performance eclipsed the existing world record of 2:39.81 for the 60-64 age group, previously held by Canadian swimmer Ilka Lowensteyn since May 2025.
In the same heat, fellow Olympian Vesna Shelnutt, aged 41 and a representative of Macedonia in the 2000 and 2004 Olympics, secured victory in the 40-44 age group with a time of 2:31.39.
Plant's schedule for the remainder of the meet includes the 200 free, 50 free, 50 fly, 100 free, and 100 fly, a testament to her enduring competitive spirit. After stepping away from the competitive scene for several decades, she resumed her swimming journey in 2025, participating in numerous meets nationwide.
Throughout her illustrious career, Plant garnered five Olympic medals, including golds in the 100 fly, 200 fly, and the 400 medley relay during the 1984 Olympics held in Los Angeles. Additionally, she claimed nine World Championship medals, two of which were gold. Her dominance in the pool is further highlighted by her world records; she held the 100-meter fly record from 1980 until 1999 and the 200 fly record from 1979 until 2000, achieving these milestones at just 15 and 14 years old, respectively. Remarkably, her 200 fly record time of 2:05.96 from 1981 still stands as the U.S. National Age Group Record, remaining unbeaten after 44 years.
The Rowdy Gaines Masters meet is a magnet for swimming enthusiasts and prominent figures from across the Southeastern United States each year. Notably, Gaines himself participated in the event, finishing the 25 free with a time of 28.33, while he still has yet to compete in the 50 free.
About Braden Keith, the Editor-in-Chief and co-founder of SwimSwam.com, it’s worth noting that he embarked on his journey in the swimming world by creating The Swimmers' Circle in January 2010, and now, through SwimSwam, he contributes to developing a leading platform in swimming news and information.
