Morales Breaks Gross’ World Record

Pablo Morales, who lost his world record in the 100-meter butterfly to West Germany’s Michael Gross during the 1984 Olympic Games, took it back Monday during the U.S. Swimming World Championship Trials with a time of 52.84 seconds.

Matt Biondi was second with a very fast 53.28, just five one-hundredths of a second off Morales’ previous record. Gross had the world record at 53.08. Both Morales and Biondi will represent the United States in the World Championships in Madrid, Spain, in August. This meet is the selection meet for both the World Championships and the Goodwill Games in Moscow July 5-8, with the top two finishers in each event making the World Championship team and the third and fourth finishers making the Goodwill Games team.

David Wharton, a 17-year-old from Warminster, Pa., broke the 8-year-old American record of Jesse Vassallo in the 400-meter individual medley with a time of 4:18.77. Jeff Kostoff of Upland was second in 4:19.87, which also would have broken Vassallo’s record of 4:20.05. The world record is held by Alex Baumann of Canada at 4:17.41, but Wharton’s time is the best in the world this year.

Betsy Mitchell won the women’s 200-meter freestyle in 1:59.27 and Mary T. Meagher was second. Olympic gold medalist Mary Wayte was third.

Kim Brown of Irvine was fifth in the women’s 200-meter freestyle with a time of 2:01.6. Finishing right behind her, in sixth place, was Debbie Babashoff of Mission Viejo. Both are likely to make the Goodwill Games team going to Moscow.

Fifth and sixth place finishes could, possibly, land swimmers on one of the national teams, depending upon whether the swimmers who finished ahead of them finish high enough in other events to make the teams in other events. Every swimmer who “doubles” opens up a spot on the roster for another swimmer.

Amy Shaw of Mission Viejo, a 14-year-old, finished third in the 200-meter breaststroke in 2:34.48 to assure herself a spot on the Goodwill Games team. Melissa Skinner of Mission Viejo was eighth.

Jeff Kostoff of Mission Viejo was under the old American record time set by Jesse Vassallo in 1978, when he swam a 4:19.87, but he finished second to Wharton. Kostoff’s second-place finish puts him on the World Championship team.

Mission Viejo Coach Terry Stoddard said, “Jeff swam very well and we’re pleased with Debbie Babashoff, too. She has a good chance of making it to Madrid. She still has the 400 and the 800 to swim.”