‘What the hell?’: Susie O’Neill smashes world record 23-years after last race

Susie O’Neill has opened up on her highly intimate moment with another champion swimmer before she smashed another world record.

Susie O’Neill has broken the world record — and no, you haven’t travelled back in time.

Now 49 but just over a month out from her 50th, Madame Butterfly has shown she’s still got it, breaking the world record for the 50-54 age group with a time of 28.95 seconds.

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According to the Masters Swimming Australia website, the previous best time in the 50-54 age group in the 50m butterfly was American Erika Braun in 29.47, achieving the time in Richmond, Virginia in August last year.

Making it even more impressive, she said it was her first competition and butterfly race since the Sydney Olympics in 2000.

O’Neil won gold in the 200m butterfly at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and silver at the 2000 Olympics.

O’Neill is a golden girl once again. Photo: Craig Borrow

However, she won the 200m freestyle at the Sydney Olympics.

“It was weird, I had no idea about the record,” she told News Corp.

“I was just swimming for a bit of fun, as part of my 50th birthday celebrations next month.

“It‘s my first butterfly race since the 200m butterfly in Sydney. Actually it’s my first comp since the Sydney Olympics.

“I didn’t think I’d ever be coming to a swim meet again. And once again it’s affected all my weekend plans.”

When told about the world record, O’Neill said: “What the hell?” while laughing at the incredible feat.

O’Neill qualifies for the 50-54 age group because “the actual attained age of the swimmer shall be determined as of 31st December of the year of competition”.

But despite the record, O’Neill revealed she was very out of practice about everything that goes into swimming — including getting into her swimsuit.

She revealed she couldn’t get into her modern Speedo LZR suit and needed the help of two-time Olympic gold medallist Jessicah Schipper.

“The technology’s changed a lot in 23 years, because we had fast skins back then from Speedo,” she said.

“That (the swimsuit) was so tight – the core, it’s like you wearing a corset.

“It took us 15 minutes to get them on. Jessicah Schipper, who’s a faster 200 butterflyer than me, had to dress me.

“I had my two butt cheeks hanging out, and Jessicah was kneeling down, trying to drag them up over my butt cheeks. I’m naked from the waist up. It was the most intimate thing I’ve ever done in a long time.”

Nova's Ash (left), Luttsy (right) & Susie O’Neill (centre) made the team. Photo: Luke Marsden.

O’Neill had returned to the pool ahead of her plan to compete at the World Masters in Fukuoka, Japan with her Nova 106.9 Brisbane co-hosts Ash Bradnam, David Lutteral and listener Kylie Fletcher making up a relay team.

After a discussion last month about how to celebrate the big 5-0 for O’Neill, the idea came up and the team qualified.

But while O’Neill has clearly still got it, she admitted it wouldn’t be a regular occurrence.

“This will be a one and done,” she said.

“It‘s more just to go over and have a bit of fun for my 50th, compete in the relay with the boys from Australia.

Originally published as ‘What the hell?’: Susie O’Neill smashes world record 23-years after last race