Runner breaks new record in Normandy - at age 82

A Normandy woman aged 82 has broken the French record for running 60 metres indoors in her category - and other records besides.

Micheline Bailly, from Argentan (Orne), took home the gold medal on December 10 after breaking the record for the fastest 60 metres indoors in the age 80-85 category, at an event in Mondeville (Calvados).

The woman - who is just 1.49 metres tall - beat the previous record of 13.52 (set in 2015 at the European Championships) by four tenths, for a new time of 13.10 - the Normandy and French record in the category. The time would also beat the French Championships record of 14.32 by some margin.

The woman ran at an incredible 18 km/h, and if she managed to keep it up for 100 metres, she would have a 100-metre time of just 21.77 seconds.

‍♀️ La Normande de 82 ans, Micheline Bailly, explose le record de France du 60 mètres en salle. A lire sur @Journaldelorne ⤵️https://t.co/kHWlpadQrx

— actu.fr (@actufr) December 11, 2023

She had previously finished fourth at the European Championships for the age category (for which there were six competitors) in the 100 metres, and took part in the Salon national de l'aide à la personne in Paris, as a guest of honour.

"I didn't even think about my age,” said Ms Bailly, of competing at the championships. “All I thought about was that I had the jersey on, the jersey of the French team, that I was representing France. And that was it.”

‘No-one in her category has ever run that fast’

Ms Bailly is coached by Jean-Luc Edeline at the Club d'Athlétisme in Bayard, and trains twice a week at the stade d'Argentan. She began training for the 60-metre sprint category four years ago.

Mr Edeline told TF1: “Not only has she just won the French championship…but she has also beaten the French record, which means that no-one in her category, the over-80s, has ever run so fast.”

Her next major fixture will be the French Championships, in Lyon (Rhône-Alpes), in early March 2024.

Ms Bailly’s husband, Christian, said: "She’s always about speed. She doesn't know what it's like to walk calmly. As soon as she has one foot on the ground, it's all: 'Hurry up!’”

Ms Bailly undertakes four training sessions per week (including the two at the stadium), and - according to her husband - when she needs to ‘rest’, she goes hiking…

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