Maurine Kornfeld Sets First Women’s Masters World Record in 105-109 Age Group
Last month, Maurine Kornfeld became the first woman to set a Masters world record in the 105-109 age group when she covered the 50-meter backstroke (long course) in 2:05.63. Kornfeld has been a regular presence at Masters meets through the years, proving that swimming is truly a lifelong sport that challenges individuals to maintain their health.
According to World Aquatics, the only prior Masters records in the 105-109 age group were set by Canada’s Jaring Timmerman in 2014. Timmerman was timed in 3:09.55 for the 50 backstroke and 2:52.48 for the 50 freestyle.
After learning to swim at a young age, Kornfeld was out of the water for more than 60 years. But following her retirement as a social worker, Kornfeld returned to the water and competed for the Masters sqaud at the Glendale YMCA (California). With the Glendale Y, she quickly gathered knowledge about training and took all the Red Cross courses for Water Safety Instructor, Advanced Lifesaving and Adapted Aquatics. She competed in Masters competition for the first time as an athlete in the 65–69 age group, and she set her first Masters World Record at the age of 90.
Known by the nickname “Mighty Mo,” Kornfeld was inducted into the International Masters Swimming Hall of Fame as a 97-year-old in 2018.