Georgia Davies and Alys Thomas may be defying age as well as the traditional perceptions of swimmers, but there are plenty of rising Welsh stars following in their slipstream.
The recent Welsh Winter National Short Course Championships proved the point with a host of eye-catching performances from the next generation.
Not so long ago, teenagers seemed to be the dominant force in the sport, but Davies and Thomas - who are both 29 - have proved that peak years have been stretched far further in the opposite direction.
Thomas grabbed gold in the 200m butterfly at last year's Commonwealth Games with one of the swims of her life, and was fifth in this year's world championships, while Davies won gold in the 50m backstroke at last year's European championships and, like her Wales teammate, has reached world class standard as she approaches her 30th birthday.
Wales' leading two female swimmers went their separate ways in December. Davies raced at the recent European Short Course Championships in Glasgow, and won bronze in the 100m backstroke, while Thomas loosened up by making an appearance at the Welsh championships in Swansea.
Unsurprisingly, Thomas was queen in her own kingdom, winning four events and producing a new lifetime best in the 200m freestyle.
