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ROBERTO ALBERICHE Spain’s Roberto Alberiche grew up near the beaches of Las Palmas, a Canary Island province of Spain off the coast of North Africa. The 81-year-old held a number of Spanish national records in the 1940s and ’50s while he was in his early 20s. He even qualified to compete in the 1956 Olympic Games, but the Spanish Olympic Federation did not select him to represent Spain at the Games. So, rather than race his way to Olympic glory, he retired from swimming that year. After a 37-year hiatus, Alberiche, at the urging of a close friend and fellow swimmer, returned to the pool in 1993, at age 62. In a short period of time, he had broken a number of Masters world records. Then he got tired of the training, and retired his aquatic career for the second time in 1998—but not for long. At the close of 2011, Alberiche was again drawn to the water. With only several months of training under his belt, he set five short course world records in the 50, 100, 200 and 400 freestyle events and the 100 IM at a single meet in Castellon, Spain in June 2012. In a remarkable show of talent, he actually broke the 200 freestyle world record twice: first with his 200 split in the 400 free (2:54.97) and then again in the individual race (2:45.24). He now trains with Club Natacion Master Murcia in Murcia, Spain, and sits comfortably on nine world records in the 80-84 age category. If he doesn’t choose to retire for a third time, Alberiche may continue breaking records long into the future. RICK COLELLA It’s been nearly 40 years since Rick Colella stood on the podium at the 1976 Olympic Games. Today, the 61-yearold Masters world record holder has a different take on competition. “It’s much more friendly competition in Masters than it was back in the olden days,” he said with a laugh. “It becomes a part of life and not your whole life.” In 2012, Colella set five 60-64 Masters world records: LC in the 200 breaststroke (2:42.84) and the 400 IM (5:11.73), and SC in the 100 (1:11.77) and 200 (2:37.61) breaststrokes and 400 IM (5:04.54). Those Masters world records were long in the making: “I was a swimmer since I was 8 years old,” Colella said. He’s been in the pool ever since. Colella represented the United States in the 200 breast in the 1972 and ’76 Olympic Games, placing fourth in 1972 and third in 1976. Rather than take time away from the sport after his last Olympics, Colella transitioned immediately from Olympic training into Masters swimming. He swam in his first Masters meet in 1977. However, it took several decades for Colella to move from sporadically competing in Masters meets to having a consistent racing schedule. “My kids grew up, and I had more time. Instead of their activities on the weekend, I now have my own,” he said.
When his success as a Masters swimmer comes up in conversation, Colella often suggests to the enquirer that they test out their legs in Masters swimming. “They always comment, ‘Well, I’m not that good.’ I come back to them (and say): ‘Well, in Masters swimming you have all different levels—from your ex-Olympians down to people who are just beginning in their 50s.’ “If you are training for the Olympics, it’s your whole life. But at this point, Masters swimmers don’t have to worry about that anymore.” MONICA CORO What could be better than setting a world record in your homeland? That’s exactly what Monica Coro did at the June 2012 14th FINA World Masters Championships in Riccione, Italy. The Italian breaststroke star bettered her own 50-54 age group Masters world records in the 50 (34.18) and 100 (1:15.50) LC breaststroke. In the 100 breast, slightly faster wasn’t good enough for Coro: her new world record was more than two seconds faster than her previous 1:17.84, a time she clocked only months before. “That was my goal when I came here,” she told the media at the meet. “I am very satisfied. I competed in three Masters World Championships, but this must be the (best) because I’m in Italy and because I made it!” Coro has been untouchable in her age group for several years in a number of breaststroke events. She holds world records in the SC 50 (33.96) and 100 (1:15.76) breast, and claims all of the women’s long course 50-54 breaststroke Masters world records—from the 50 to the 200 (2:50.92). Coro is so untouchable that when she clocked her 1:15.50 100 breast world record, she finished a full seven seconds ahead of the second-place finisher. Talk about racing yourself! NICOLAS GRANGER Nicolas Granger doesn’t compete every year, but when he does, he really makes it count. The Frenchman has held the Masters world record in the 200 or 400 IM in every age group in which he has competed, and last year, he added the 45-49 age group to that list with a strong showing at the long course FINA Masters World Championships. The 46-year-old posted a 4:44.76 in the 400 IM and 2:11.22 in the 200 IM, breaking the world marks by three seconds in each. In the short course pool, he set world marks in the 100 IM (57.68) and 200 IM (2:04.64) and celebrated his first world records in freestyle, adding the 100 free (51.30) and 200 free (1:52.87) to his already impressive resumé. For those efforts, Granger became the first French swimmer to be selected as a Swimming World Magazine World Masters Swimmer of the Year. “I had hoped to get it,” Granger said. “It’s the first time for —continued on 14 April 2013
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