Mary T. Meagher Sets Masters World Record in Signature 200 Butterfly
More than four decades after setting world records as a teenage phenom, Mary T. Meagher is back in the mode of breaking world marks. The 1984 and 1988 Olympian, known as Madame Butterfly, recently set a Masters world record in the 200-meter butterfly for the 60-64 age group.
Competing under her married name of Mary Plant at the Southwest Zone Summer Championships, the Hall of Famer raced to a time of 2:39.31 in the 200 fly, the event that made her a superstar. That swim broke the previous record in the age group by almost two seconds, as the former standard stood at 2:41.03 to Laura Val since 2011.
Meagher once held the world record in the 200 fly for nearly 19 years, having gone 2:05.96 in the event during the 1981 season. That performance remains a National Age Group record in the 15-16 classification. After the United States boycott of the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow cost her an initial Olympic appearance, Meagher won gold medals in the 100 butterfly and 200 fly at the 1984 Games in Los Angeles. Four years later, she added a bronze medal in the 200 fly.
At the Masters meet, the 61-year-old Meagher won four other events, including the 100 butterfly in 1:09.07, which was less than a second off the world record of 1:08.24. She also prevailed in the 50 fly (31.00), 50 freestyle (29.96) and 200 freestyle (2:26.23).