Rachel Hanssens is no stranger to world records, but in the past two months, she’s outdone herself — and even the legendary Olga Kotelko. Belgium’s Rachel beat the listed Olga record in the throws pentathlon — twice. First was in early July and again (but lower score) at the Eurovets meet in Turkey. According to the possibly error-ridden record tally, Rachel set eight W85 WRs at Euro WMA regionals. (But her pent score in July was 4,926 points, vs. the 4846 at Eurovets.) Both crushed Olga’s listed WR of 4211. So now Rachel is in the running for IAAF World Best Masters Athlete. In July, she reportedly set three WRs. Rachel deserves consideration despite the WMA prejudice against the oldest age groups because “they don’t have much competition in their age group.” Bull-puckey. WRs still count. Soft records are rare.

WRs attributed to Rachel in Turkey (including pent error):

24/08/2014 Shot Put Kg 2.000 W85 7.86 (25-9 1/2)
25/08/2014 Hammer Throw Kg 2.000 W85 26.80 (87-11)
27/08/2014 Throwing Pentathlon W85 4846
27/08/2014 Discus Throw Kg 0,750 W85 19.49 (63-11 1/4)
28/08/2014 Weight Throw Kg 4.00 W85 9.23 (30-3 1/4)
29/08/2014 TP Shot Put Kg 2.000 W85 7.23 (23-8 1/2)
29/08/2014 TP Hammer Throw Kg 2.000 W85 24.08 (79-0)
29/08/2014 TP Discus Throw Kg 0,750 W85 17.59 (57-8 1/2)

Rachel was profiled in a Dutch paper. Here’s translation:

She is 85 years old and the oldest athlete in the country. But even more impressive: she has managed to diffident as many world records in three weeks time. Rachel Hanssens of Oudenaarde in the masters are the best in the discus, javelin and pentathlon. “My secret? Train every day.”

Exact 18.92 meters far flung Rachel Hanssens discus last weekend at the Flemish athletics championship in the masters women (see box) in Eeklo. They thus broke the world record, which was more than 14 meters on something.

And that was no fluke: the week before Rachel had already the world record javelin thrown shattered. It now stands at 18.96 meters. And even a week before she collected 4,926 points in the pentathlon, or about 700 more than the previous world record.

“I’m pretty in shape, yes,” winks the retired tax office nasty. “I was 23 years old when I started to exercise. So it was actually a late vocation,” she says. “When I was little, young girls did not have a chance to participate in sports. Until after the Second World War is in my town a sports club for girls occur. Affiliated me and I’ve never stopped exercising. But my whole life it’s always remained a hobby. All my spare time was and is still the sport. ‘Cause I love to do and because it keeps me young and fit. But it is not easy. You get nothing for nothing in life. I train every day on agility, technique and power.

As an athlete, you have all three of those things are necessary. And rest is rust “, realizes Rachel.

World view

The whole world has seen over the past sixty years, because at every World Cup for the masters women, she is ready.

“That makes many trips my sport quite an expensive hobby, but everyone gives his money from somewhere, I suppose I should nevertheless also amuse me?” winks the plucky lady. Dozens of medals, trophies and cups hanging and standing in her home.

“How much, I do not know. Absolutely I want them not count. Keep them in and cherish them, but what I achieved last year is no longer important. As an athlete, you should always look forward. Take too long triumphs , you forget what is to come. My gaze is always directed to the races yet to come. the only way to stay motivated., I’m not married and have no children, but have always wanted to be for young athletes.

“First Provincial preview win, Flemish, and keep going, “I say to encourage them.”

On to Turkey

When Oudenaardse KASVO athletic club, where she is a member for decades, it is worn on the hands and they enjoy high reputation. If there is still a challenge beckons after the three brand new world records? “Soon I will go to the World Championships in Turkey’s Izmir Nothing’s changed. Train I will train hard..”

Difference between masters and athletes

Rachel Hanssens is active in the masters: athletes who are over thirty years and are further divided into categories based on their age.

“We practice the same disciplines, but depending on our age, the weight of, for example, the discus and the bullet. Masters his hobby athletes, but some do have a professional career behind,” says Rachel.

In comparison, the world record discus throw in the pros women state with 76.80 meters in the name of the Soviet Russian Natalya Lisobskaja. The 85-year-old Rachel Hanssens throws the discus 18.92 meters. Her new world record javelin stands at 18.96 meters. The “official” of 72.28 meters established by Czech Barbora Špotáková.