SWIMMING / MEET OF CHAMPIONS : Evans Gets a Good Workout, Plus Meet Record in the 800

It was just a workout meet for Janet Evans, a chance to gauge how prepared she was for the Goodwill Games next month in Seattle.

But as workouts go, this one wasn’t too bad.

Evans, who was swimming for the Tarn-Pure team, set a meet record in the 800-meter freestyle Thursday in the Swim Meet of Champions at the Marguerite Recreation Center in Mission Viejo. Her time of 8 minutes 33.37 seconds was nearly three seconds faster than Tiffany Cohen’s record of 8:36.64 in 1984.

“I really wasn’t thinking about setting any records,” Evans said. “All I wanted to do was go under 8:40. I just wanted to see how my time was in the distance freestyle.”

It was fine, especially compared to the rest of the field. Evans finished more than nine seconds ahead of Jana Henke of East Germany, who finished in 8:42.37.

“It would have been better if there was competition,” Evans said. “But the important thing was the workout. I wanted to push myself until it hurt. And it hurt.”

Evans will swim at least four more events during the meet, which runs through Sunday. The only one she was certain she would compete in was the 400 individual medley, which will be held today.

“Whatever Coach (Richard Quick) wants me to swim this weekend, I’ll swim,” Evans said.

In the men’s 800 freestyle, Artur Wojdat of Poland held off Sebastian Wiese and Carsten Kuhlmorgen of East Germany for the victory, finishing with a time of 8:07.60.