Louisville's "Madame Butterfly" continued her career of breaking swimming records Aug. 2, nearly 40 years after her last Olympics.Mary Plant, formerly known as Mary T. Meagher, broke a state and swim meet record for the fastest 200 long course meter butterfly for women in the 60-64 age group. The weekend meet marked the first time Plant had competed at Lakeside Swim Club since the 1980s.Plant's feat came at the Lakeside Masters Invitational, an event that has been held annually for nearly half of the swim club's 102-year history. Plant, a three-time Olympic gold medalist, is in her second year of competition as a U.S. Masters swimmer, after decades away from the sport. Former Olympians have competed in U.S. Masters Swimming, though the organization is open to all adults at any level of expertise.Finishing with an official 200 long course meter butterfly time of 2:40.53, Plant just missed the world record she set in the 60-64 age group on Aug. 16, 2025, in Mission Viejo, California. The record time to beat was 2:39.31.After the race, Plant told reporters she went into the morning optimistic about the chance to break her own world record."I think at this age, that's what happens from one day to the next, you have no idea [how you'll perform]," said Plant, who is 61. "Your body, just for whatever reason, performs [better] one day than the next."A day before her Aug. 2 swim, Plant also broke the state and meet record in the 100 long course meter butterfly for women in the 60-64 age group, with a final time of 1:08.70. Plant also owns the event's world record with her 1:07.78 mark from June 2026.Plant said she kept her desire to return to competitive swimming quiet for about eight months. To prepare for the Lakeside Masters Invitational, she swam four days a week for one hour, mainly in the butterfly stroke."I had gone to the Paris Olympics [in 2024] and I had watched the swimming and thought, 'That is just so poetic, to see good swimmers do that,'" Plant said. "So I guess that was half of my mind. I thought, 'Maybe I'll just reinvent myself as a Masters swimmer.'" Even with her Olympic career behind her, Plant said she was confident about getting back in the pool and doing something she has loved since she was a child."I have high expectations. I'm still a competitor," she said. "What I enjoy is going head-to-head with people."More sports: Meet 10 KHSAA stars we'll miss from Louisville area's Class of 2026Lakeside, nestled within the tall cliffs of a former stone quarry, has attracted numerous Olympians and Paralympians to Louisville's Belknap neighborhood over the years."It's not just a really unique facility, but just obviously one that I'm emotionally connected to," Plant said. "I didn't realize they had a meet, so when I found out about this meet a year ago, I kind of thought it would be a good one to attend."Plant's world records in the 100 and 200-meter butterfly from the 1984 Summer Olympics both stood for nearly 20 years. She won gold in the 100-meter butterfly, 200-meter butterfly and 4x100-meter medley relay in 1984, before earning silver in the 4x100-meter medley relay in 1988 and bronze in the 200-meter butterfly that same year.For more than 45 years, Plant has held the Ohio Valley record in the 200-meter butterfly for girls aged 13-14.Reach reporter Leo Bertucci at lbertucci@usatodayco.com or @leober2chee on X, formerly known as TwitterThis article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville native Mary T. Meagher Plant sets records at Lakeside swim meet