Abrahams Speeds to Four US National Masters Records at Colorado Champs

By Phillp Whitten

DENVER, April 15. RICHARD Abrahams renewed his assault on the Masters record book last weekend at the Colorado Masters Short Course Championships, accounting for four of the seven US Masters national records set at the meet.

Abrahams, in his first meet in the 60-64 age group, set astonishing new records in the 50 and 100-yard free and 50 and 100 fly.

"I'm most happy with my 50 free," he commented after covering the two lap sprint in 22.33 seconds. The old record was 23.28 set by Jeff Farrell in 1997.

Farrell was the victim again when Abrahams sped to a 50.92 clocking in thee 100 despite being left on the blocks when he failed to hear the command to "take your marks." Farrell's old mark was 52.03 from 1997.

In the 50 fly, the Denver Athletic Club ace went 24.47 seconds — his best time since beginning Masters swimming 30 years ago. Keefe Lodwig had set the previous mark just last year at 26.23.

Abrahams added a fourth record when he swam a "nice and relaxed" 100 fly in 55.46 seconds, erasing Robert Poiletman's 59.19 set last year when he became the first man over 60 to break a minute in the event.

Two other swimmers contributed national records as well. Paul Smith, 45, recently returned from Tasmania, where he set two long ccourse world records at the Australian Nationals, clocked 47.53 for the 100-yard free, one-hundredth of a second under Jack Groselle's former mark.

In the 50 fly, Tall Paul jammed the pads in 23.18 seconds, three-tenths under Bill Specht's mark set in 2003 and one-hundredth faster than Trip Hedrick's record in the 50-54 age group.

Susan von der Lippe, 39, scored the only women's record when she clocked 30.01 seconds for the 50-yard breaststroke in the 35-39 division. The old standard, 30.08, was set by Caroline Krattli in 2001.

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