An 84-year-old British swimmer, hailed as the King of the Channel, has returned triumphant from the Open Masters Games in Abu Dhabi, claiming an impressive haul of five gold medals and two silvers.
Michael Read, from Ipswich, who has crossed the English Channel an extraordinary 33 times throughout his career, competed in the international multi-sport event held this month.
“It was a lovely venue, nice and warm, and the people were so unbelievably friendly – it was a great experience,” Mr Read said of the competition.
The MBE holder, who first took up swimming at the age of 14, shows no indication of easing his competitive drive.
He claimed gold in five events within his age category: the 5km open water race, the 400m and 200m individual medley, and both the 800m and 400m freestyle competitions.
The 84-year-old’s silver medals came in the 100m and 200m freestyle disciplines.
Abu Dhabi’s Open Masters bills itself as the largest mass-participation sporting event in the region, attracting more than 25,000 athletes competing across 38 different sports.
Mr Read’s success in the Gulf follows his gold medal performance at the World Aquatics Masters Championships in Singapore last year, where he topped the podium in the 3km open water swimming event.
An 84-year-old Briton won five gold medals at the Open Masters Games in Abu Dhabi
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Mr Read’s journey in competitive swimming began when he joined Brighton Swimming Club as a teenager.
Within five years, he had earned selection for the British team at the 1960 Rome Olympics.
However, his dreams of glory were shattered just days before he was due to compete when a crash on a Lambretta scooter left him unable to participate.
Despite that early setback, Mr Read has since accumulated remarkable honours in the sport, receiving an MBE for his services to swimming and gaining induction into the International Swimming Hall of Fame.
‘I don’t think (I’ll ever stop swimming). I’ve now got to have new ambitions, possibly a second world championship,’ declared Mike Read
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The 84-year-old maintains his dedication to the sport by visiting Crown Pools in Ipswich on a daily basis, alongside his regular participation in competitions around the world.
“Every day is a new adventure, I love competing and I like meeting friends, and it’s nice when people say I inspired them,” he told the BBC.
The veteran swimmer expressed particular hope that schoolchildren present at the Abu Dhabi event might have been motivated by his achievements, just as he was inspired when he began swimming seven decades ago.
Looking ahead, Mr Read has no intention of retiring from the pool.
Mr Read is known as the King of the Channel, having swam the English Channel an extraordinary 33 times throughout his career
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He said: “I don’t think (I’ll ever stop swimming). I’ve now got to have new ambitions, possibly a second world championship.”
Mr Read’s triumph follows the nation’s success on the slopes and rinks of the Winter Olympics.
Team GB has delivered an unprecedented performance at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, securing three gold medals alongside one silver and one bronze.
This remarkable haul was Britain’s finest showing at any Winter Games in history.