MASTERS SWIMMING

Catzel feels on top of the world

The Sydneysider first made his mark as a masters swimmer by winning gold medals at the 2013 and 2017 Maccabiah Games in Israel.

Jorian Catzel (pictured) may be 75, but both his passion for competitive swimming and his results at major international masters meets, are only getting stronger.

The Sydneysider first made his mark as a masters swimmer by winning gold medals at the 2013 and 2017 Maccabiah Games in Israel.

He qualified for the 2023 World Aquatics Masters Championships – held earlier this month in Kyushu, Japan – back in April, when winning three golds and two silvers in men’s 75-79 age group events at the national championships in Hobart.

At that time, he said, “Age should not be seen as a restriction.”

It certainly wasn’t for him in Japan, where he achieved his best world masters championship results so far in three appearances, winning two bronze medals, in the 100 butterfly and the 50 backstroke.

He also posted top 10 results in the 50 butterfly (sixth) and 50 breaststroke (seventh).

Returning home last week, Catzel told The AJN that he’d swum his fastest 50 backstroke time in the last 10 years, “which means I must be improving with age!”

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