U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials : Berkoff Has World-Record Start

David Berkoff’s “submarine start” in the 100-meter backstroke was a curiosity, an interesting technique until Friday night, when he used it to set a world record during the Phillips 66/U.S. Swimming Long Course National Championships at the University of Texas Swim Center. Now it’s likely to revolutionize the stroke.

Berkoff swam a 54.95-second 100 in the morning to break the world record of 55.00 by Igor Poliansky of the Soviet Union. Berkoff then lowered his record to 54.91 in the final.

Most who swim the backstrokepush away from the wall at the start, take a couple of dolphin kicks while underwater, then come up to the surface to start their windmill-like stroke. But there is no rule stating how long a swimmer can stay under water. Berkoff stays under about 16 seconds or 32 meters, kicking more than half the pool’s length before he breaks the surface.

Berkoff, who attends Harvard, isn’t the first to use this start. He saw Jesse Vassallo try it in 1976. But he is the first to take it to this extreme and set a world record with it. Vassallo went about 15 meters under water. Kristen Linehan used the submarine start Wednesday night, staying under for about 40 meters. But she finished sixth in her heat.

Still, Berkoff’s world record is going to give the stroke much more credence. And the fact that the second-place finisher, who also earned a spot on the U.S. Olympic team Jay Mortenson, also went about 25 meters under water.

U.S. Coach Richard Quick predicted: “Every backstroke swimmer is going to experiment with that start now.”

There was no world record set in the 50-meter freestyle Friday. Tom Jager of the Bruin Swim Team beat Matt Biondi in a race slowed a bit by two false starts. But Jager’s winning time of 22.26 was still pretty fast, as was Biondi’s second-place 22.50.

Biondi is not scheduled to swim today, the meet’s final day. He has qualified for four individual events and all three relays. Jager was the only swimmer to beat him this week.

Jager, who also qualified for the 400-meter freestyle relay by placing third in the 100, explained, simply: “Matt is the best swimmer in the world. But I’m the fastest.”

Janet Evans of the Fullerton Aquatic Sports Team won the women’s 800-meter freestyle Friday in 8:23.59, but that time wasn’t faster than her world record. If she had set a world record in any of her swims, she would have won her coach, Bud McAllister, an expense-paid trip to Seoul.

As it is, Quick is planning to take McAllister “as far as he can.” That probably will mean through their training camp in Hawaii. Evans said that it was her understanding that he would be with her until she started her taper, 10 days before the Games.

But he won’t be on the deck in Seoul as a member of the coaching staff.

Evans did not swim well last summer at the Pan Pacific games in Australia, and she said that she missed McAllister on that trip. But, Quick said, “Janet is a year older and more mature.”

Mary Wayte of the Holmes Lumber Gators qualified for her third Olympic event when she won the women’s 200-meter individual medley in 2:16.28. While she was racing Summer Sanders (who finished third), Whitney Hedgepeth, 17, of Petersburgh, Va., came from behind in the outside lane to finishsecond in 2:16.36 to take the other Olympic spot. Hedgepeth took 2 1/2 seconds off her best time, prompting Wayte to say, “Nothing like rising to the occasion.” Wayte told the media, “I was going to tell you people to watch for Whitney Hedgepeth in four years. She’s one of our rising stars. But I guess you saw for yourself.”

Michele Griglione, a good friend of Wayte, finished fourth and didn’t make the team. Wayte’s voice was shaking on the verge of tears when she said, “The Olympic trials have way of pulling you apart.”

Melvin Stewart, who swims for Mecklenburg Aquatics, won the men’s 200-meter butterfly in 1:58.86. Mark Dean of the Kansas City Blazers (who will be a junior at UCLA) claimed the other spot on the Olympic team by placing second in 1:59.56, beating out Pablo Morales, who was third.

Swimming Notes

Betsy Mitchell, the world record-holder in the women’s 200-meter backstroke, has decided not to swim that event today. Her coach, Richard Quick, said that he admired her decision to concentrate on the 100-meter backstroke (which she won in these trials) and the 400-meter individual medley. Quick said that Mitchell was “not in a position to do what she wanted to do” in the 200. He said that she probably could have made the final heat, but that would only deny someone else the chance to try to make the Olympic team.