U.S. Swimming Championships : Evans Sets 400 Medley Record

Janet Evans, the smallest American swimming champion in 20 years, continued to win big Monday night, settting a U.S. Swimming Open meet record in the 400-meter individual medley.

Evans’ time of 4 minutes 39.75 seconds, missed Tracy Caulkins’ American record by 51/100ths of a second.

The 5-4, 97-pound Evans said that it was difficult to swim her best race after the hoopla surrounding her world record in the 400-meter freestyle Sunday night. “I just want to go home and get into the Christmas spirit,” she said.

She will have to wait one more night to go home, however, since she is entered in the 800-meter freestyle tonight.

Evans broke the race open in the breaststroke leg (the third leg) and came from almost three seconds off the American record pace to within a fraction of a second of breaking one of competitive swimming’s most venerable marks.

San Diego, Calif., swimmer Tami Bruce was second in the race, more than nine seconds behind Evans.