Mission Viejo Meet of Champions : Biondi and Evans Are Impressive to the End

As the awards were being handed out, Matt Biondi was standing under a tree, struggling to push his wet arm through the sleeve of an uncooperative sweat shirt.

Successful at last, he dashed across the pool deck and to the award tier just after his name was called. It was the only time he had been running behind all day.

One of the world’s fastest sprinters, Biondi easily won the 100-meter freestyle in 51.47 seconds at the Mission Viejo Meet of Champions that ended Sunday. He led the entire race.

Biondi’s time was not close to his world record of 48.74 seconds. Nor did it even threaten Peter Rohde’s meet record of 51.07 seconds. But it was fast enough to leave Duffy Dillon and the rest of the swimmers in the Marguerite Recreation Center pool gazing at his feet.

Biondi had done much the same Saturday in the 50-meter freestyle. But he was not the only one swimming far from the splashing crowd.

Janet Evans, rising fast for the 1988 Olympics, continued to win almost every race she entered. She won the 200-meter individual medley and 200-meter freestyle Sunday, giving her five victories in six races.

Evans, 15, who lives in Placentia, swam the medley in 2:20.92, 1 1/2 seconds faster than California Capital’s Summer Sanders. Fifteen minutes later, Evans swam the freestyle in 2:04.79. Both times were personal bests.

Evans and Biondi plan to compete in the U.S. Longcourse Nationals at Clovis, Calif., July 27-31. In the meantime, they plan to rest.

After long travel and longer workouts, Biondi was just glad to get back into his favorite race. He beat Dillon, who swims for the San Jose Aquatics, by two body lengths. Biondi stands 6-feet 6-inches and weighs 200 pounds.

“It makes a difference when you get that extra lap,” he said, alluding to his narrower victory in the 50-meter freestyle the day before. “The 50’s too short, the 200’s too long and the 100 is just right.”

Ever since Biondi, a one-time water polo player, made the 400-meter relay of America’s 1984 Olympic swimming team, he says he hasn’t lost the race when he’s rested. He did lose the race here in 1985 when Rohde set the meet record. But he said Rohde was rested and Biondi was far from peaking.

“If I was going to put all my money on one race it would be the 100,” he said.

What hardly anyone would have wagered on was how well Evans would swim. The majority of swimmers at the meet were so tired they weren’t threatening meet records, let alone world or national records. Biondi was so tired Friday that he finished 18th in the 200-meter freestyle, an event in which he holds the American record.

Evans also has been exhausted. She had swum five events over the past three days and had two more Sunday. The first statement she’d make at interviews was that she wanted to go home and rest.

But when Evans won twice Sunday with outstanding swims. Evans swam the first 50 meters of her 200 free in 29.8 seconds, equaling her best 50 meters she swam at the U.S. Open. She swam her last 50 meters only a second slower (30.9).

“She showed she’s almost as much speed (unrested) as she does (rested),” said Bud McAllister, her coach. “She had 15 minutes’ rest, or she probably could have gone faster in the 200 free. I didn’t even get to see her before that race.”

Said Evans: “I felt pretty good considering I was tired. I think I could have gone faster, but I didn’t get that much rest. I’m glad it’s over, though. I want to go home.”