Jews in the news: Trevor’s triumph at world masters

Source: The Australian Jewish News

Trevor Cohen, 87, won two medals for Australia in the 85+ men’s category, at the World Masters Athletics 2025 Indoor Championships (WIC) in Gainesville, Florida, late last month.

Cohen earned silver in the 400m, beating 87-year-old Spaniard Angel Cano Alcolea by just over 2 seconds. That race was won by a big margin by Frenchman Jean-Louis Esnault, who had just turned 85.

The Jewish Melburnian also took home a bronze medal, after clocking 10.91 seconds in the 60m dash in a field of eight. He reached the finish line just 0.27 of a second behind runner-up Karlheinz Seyerlein of Germany, while gold was won by American Robert Williamson (10.51).

Cohen told The AJN he has always loved sport and keeping reasonably fit. His journey to the World Masters began just over two years ago, following a full right knee replacement.

“I’d read about masters athletics, and thought I’d give it a go, so I joined the Glen Eira club, went to a few midweek sessions, and really enjoyed it.

“I had initial success, breaking Victorian records, but found I was having continuous difficulty with hamstring strains and tears.

“On advice from Dr Julian Freitag, a sports surgeon and family friend, I underwent six months of physical strengthening on my right knee, and the 2025 WIC turned out to be far more successful than I’d hoped.”

Cohen added, it was an amazing experience to meet masters athletes from around the world, and with the support of his family, he hopes to compete in the next edition in 2026 in South Korea.