SWIMMING / PAN PACIFIC GAMES : Americans Are Aiming for World Records Again

The Pan Pacific Swimming Championships played second fiddle to the European Swimming Championships until 1989 at Tokyo when four world records were broken by Americans in a 6 1/2-hour span, the most world swimming marks by one nation in the shortest period of time.

Dennis Pursley, the U.S. Swimming national team director, does not expect lightning to strike twice in the fourth championships, which began Wednesday with a victory by Chet Hundeby of Irvine in the 25-kilometer race, swum in 5 hours 21 minutes 10 seconds at Sylvan Lake.

The championships continue today at Kinsmen Aquatic Centre, and Pursley says the Americans are superbly prepared.

“I would expect to see a world record or two but as far as an onslaught of world records . . . most of our world record-holders, if not physically at least mentally, are looking ahead to Barcelona (1992 Olympic Games). They want to swim fast here, but it is tough to do it this close to the Olympic Games.”

Mike Barrowman, one of the four Americans who set a world record at Tokyo in the last Pan Pacific Games, already demonstrated that he can swim fast now. On Aug. 13 at U.S. Nationals in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., he lowered the 200-meter breaststroke world record, to 2:10.60, for the fourth consecutive time.

“There’s no pressure at all,” Barrowman said. “I’ve shown time and time again than I can do it so the pressure is not on to do it.”

Tom Jager, Janet Evans and David Wharton also are competing. They joined Barrowman on that record-setting day when Jager clocked 22.12 seconds in the 50 freestyle, Evans had a 8:16.22 in the 800 freestyle and Wharton had a 2:00.11 in the 200 individual medley. Jager has lowered it twice since to 21.81, in March, 1990, at Nashville, Tenn.

Wharton’s record was broken at the World Championships by Hungarian Tamas Darnyi, whose 1:59.36 was the first 200 individual medley under two minutes, but Wharton remains optimistic.

U.S. teammate Jeff Rouse, the 100 backstroke world champion, says he has a shot at David Berkoff’s 1988 world record of 54.51. “I’d like to go under 54 (seconds),” said Rouse who has gone 54.79.