Jager’s First Is a Record and a First : UCLA Swimmer Wins 50-Meter Freestyle, Place in History

Tom Jager of UCLA swam the 50-meter freestyle Friday night in the U.S. Swimming Open faster than anyone ever has. His time of 22.40 seconds at the Texas Swimming Center gave him the distinction of being the first world record-holder in the event.

When Robin Leamy of UCLA swam the fastest 50 ever in 1981, with a time that held up until last summer, when Dano Halsall went 22.52 in Switzerland, his time was recognized only as a world best because the sprint was not recognized as an international event.

But Jager learned Friday afternoon that FINA, swimming’s international governing body, had officially approved the event for the World Championships this summer. According to precedent, that meant that any best would have world-record status.

“When I heard that this afternoon, I was pretty fired up about getting the world record,” Jager said. “I also wanted to get the 50 record back for UCLA. This is coming a little too late for Robin. I owe him a lot of credit for building acceptance of the 50. Robin never got enough recognition for what he did.”

Now that the 50-meter freestyle has been added for both the World Championships and the Pan American Games, Jager expects to see it added to the 1988 Olympics.

Jager, who is 21, said that he expects to try for a spot in the first Olympic 50 field. “I was planning to continue racing through ’88 to swim the 100, anyway,” he said.

Jager beat Bruin teammate John Auerland and Cal’s Matt Biondi.

There were only two other records set on the first day of this international meet. One was a U.S. Open record in the women’s 100-meter breaststroke by East German Silke Hoerner, who beat her teammate and world record-holder, Sylvia Gerasch, with a 1:09.36. Her time bettered the American record of 1:09.53 set by Tracy Caulkins in 1981. The other mark was an American record in the 200-meter backstroke, set by Betsy Mitchell, a sophomore at the University of Texas and a member of the U.S. team.

Mitchell surprised even herself with her preliminary swim in the morning, when she broke the oldest women’s American record on the books. Mitchell’s time of 2:11.82 bettered the record of 2:11.93 set by Linda Jezek in 1978.

Mitchell said: “I didn’t even consider going for an American record in the morning. This was a real shock. I had no idea I was going that fast.”

She came back in the final heat to beat world record-holder Cornelia Sirch of East Germany. Mitchell won in 2:12.84, and Sirch was second in 2:14.56--well off her record of 2:09.91.

Mitchell said: “Tonight, all I was going for was the win--for Texas and for the U.S. I felt like we needed somebody to stand up and say, ‘Hey, we’re here to be reckoned with.’

“I feel that it was a great accomplishment. I always wanted to race against her and come out on the winning side--especially in the 200, which is not exactly my specialty.

“I wanted to beat her because she’s such a great competitor. I have no bad feelings toward her, athletic or political.”

Tiffany Cohen, who also swims for Texas, won the women’s 400-meter freestyle despite taking a break last summer. Cohen, the gold medal winner in this event in the ’84 Olympics, spent a lot of time at the beach last summer--something she had never done. But she was having trouble getting motivated and needed the fresh start.

“A lot of people thought I was just dwindling away,” Cohen said. “I wanted to use this meet as a confidence-booster and to show that I was still motivated.

“It was kind of exciting to be back on top of the awards stand, even though I was a long way from my best time.”

Cohen’s best time is the American record, 4:07.10. She won Friday night in 4:11.13.

Jeanne Doolan, a senior at Duncanville (Tex.) High School, upset Dara Torres, who has the world best time in that event. Doolan touched out Torres with a time of 26:13 to Torres’ 26.25.

Dirk Richter of East Germany beat Rick Carey in the men’s 200-meter backstroke. Carey, who won the Olympic gold medal in both the 100- and 200-meter backstrokes, had no explanation for losing to Richter, the man who beat him in the same event here in 1984.

Carey said: “I have no idea of what is wrong or right with me right now. The race didn’t hurt. I didn’t die. But I didn’t have the power to give him a challenge. There was no zip in my performance.

“I can’t say I would have beaten him, and I don’t want to take anything away from him, but there is just something that is not there. I don’t know what it is.

“He controlled me. He did to me what I used to do to others. He just swam a great race and should be congratulated.”

Giovanni Minervini, who is swimming for both UCLA and his home country of Italy, won the men’s 100-meter breaststroke in 1:02.82, beating Adrian Moorhouse of Great Britain and John Moffett.

Swim Notes

Scores are not being kept for international competition because of the varying sizes of the 25 teams competing. Scores are being kept for both collegiate and club competition. Florida is leading both the men’s and women’s collegiate scoring, and UCLA is second among the men and Texas second among the women. Mission Viejo is leading in both the men’s and women’s club competition. . . .Tom Jager of UCLA scratched from the U.S. team in order to compete for his school. And Pablo Morales scratched from the U.S. team to stay at Stanford for classes. Jager and Morales were not replaced.