Swimming : Tiffany Cohen and Rick Carey Score Impressive Victories

Tiffany Cohen and Rick Carey, two 1984 Olympic Gold Medal winners who won’t be going to the World Championships in Spain next week, scored impressive victories Tuesday night at the U.S. Swimming Championships.

Cohen made it two victories in as many tries when she took the 200-meter butterfly in 2:12.66. Carey, who declined to try for a spot on the World Championships team because of career commitments, won the men’s 200-meter backstroke in 2:02.06.

At the 1984 Games at Los Angeles, Cohen won gold medals in the 400-meter and 800-meter freestyles. The 20-year-old Californian took the 800 freestyle at Santa Clara Monday night to open the championships.

“Obviously, I would have liked to be on the world team,” Cohen said, “but I went to the trials knowing I wouldn’t win a spot because I wasn’t in shape. Still, I went because I’m not a quitter. Winning here makes it a little easier to take.”

Carey didn’t go to the world trials because he spent the summer working 40 hours a week and training on his own time.

“I had a lot of little things to take care of,” said the 23-year-old New Yorker, who by taking the 200 backstroke became one of the few defending champions in this tournament to repeat.

Carey said he wasn’t interested in his time as much as he was in his technique.

“I tried a few new things,” he said. “I’m swimming in 1986 looking to 1988. Everything I do this year is geared to going to another Olympics. The World Championships didn’t seem that important right now.”

Andrea Hayes of Pensacola, Fla., won the women’s 200 backstroke to also become a repeat winner. Her time was 2:14.59, her best this year. She almost didn’t come to the U.S. Championships because of exhaustion after the Goodwill Games in Russia.

Two 14-year-olds were big winners, too. Amy Shaw of Mission Viejo, won the 200-meter breaststroke in 2:33.08, and Grace Cornelius of Newtown Square, Pa., won the 100-meter freestyle in a career-best of 57.05.

Other winners were Sam Schwartz of Mill Valley, Calif., in the 200 breaststroke in 2:19.29, Melvin Stewart of Ft. Mill, S.C., in the 200 fly in 2:01.51 and Scott McCadam of Waterloo, Iowa, in 50.51.