Lipton emotional after 10-medal Maccabiah triumph

Australian masters swimmer Alida Lipton has capped an extraordinary week in the pool at the 2026 Maccabiah Games in Israel, medalling in all 10 of her events – a goal that narrowly eluded her at the previous Games four years ago by one medal.

Lipton – who turns 60 later this month – won one gold, six silvers and three bronzes, across two action-packed days of swimming at the Wingate Pool on July 7 and 8.

She told The AJN on Thursday night that achieving a time that ‘surprised herself” when winning silver in one of her individual races felt equally as special as the gold medal she won.

That gold came in the 4x50m mixed medley relay, where Lipton teamed up with three Canadian swimmers in a composite team nicknamed the Commonwealth Squad.

“The Canadians I was with were guns – really elite athletes – and I was very proud to be in that team,” Lipton said.