Veteran Evans Hopes to Extend Her Golden Years

Before the 1984 Olympics, world-record holder Mary T. Meagher proudly proclaimed herself the “old lady of American swimming.” Dubbed the “sweetheart of U.S. swimming” as a 14-year-old wunderkind, Meagher was comfortable with the switch to “Madame Butterfly” at 19.

Soon-to-be-21 Janet Evans isn’t exactly reveling in the darling-turned-grizzled-veteran image.

“It’s not like my bones creak or anything,” she says. “I’m not that old. A lot of the team, Jenny (Thompson), Nicole (Haislett), Summer (Sanders), are all 19. I’m not that much older, I just got started a little earlier.”

Started breaking records that is. Evans was 15 when she set her first world record. She was 16 when she won three gold medals in Seoul.

Since the Olympic trials, however, there has been a lot of hype surrounding swimming’s new wave. Thompson is the first American in 61 years to hold the world record in the 100-meter freestyle. Haislett has the fastest time this year in the 200-meter free. And Sanders has the fastest 200-meter butterfly and 200-meter individual medley times this year. All three could win five medals in Barcelona.

The three were portrayed recently in Sports Illustrated as U.S. swimming’s New Kids on the Block.

Still, if you want a sure bet on who will be bringing home the precious medals, you might want to go with the old kid on the blocks.

Evans earned her three Olympic gold medals in individual events--the 400- and 800-meter freestyle and 400-meter individual medley--setting a world record in the 400 free and an Olympic record in the 800 free. She holds the world records in the 400-, 800- and the non-Olympic 1,500-meter freestyle events and the American record in the 400-meter individual medley.

Four-year-old records may not be an accurate measure of dominance today, but Evans simply doesn’t lose. When it comes to women’s distance freestyle events in the past five years, it’s a race between everyone but Evans . . . for second place. She hasn’t lost in the 400 since 1986 (18 consecutive victories) and has won 14 800 races in a row. She has six of the top 10 times ever in the 400, five of the top 10 800 times and the three fastest 1,500 times.

And May 22, during an Olympic tuneup event at Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., Evans won the 1,500-meter freestyle by 52 seconds, the greatest margin ever, according to U.S. swimming records.

“Janet’s really focused,” one U.S. swimming official said. “I’d be absolutely shocked if anyone beats her in Barcelona.”

But this time Evans won’t be the lone media darling, the tiny teen-ager from Placentia with the huge smile, the girl with the windup-bathtub-toy stroke who paddled her way into the hearts of millions four years ago as the only U.S. woman to win a swimming gold.

But she also won’t have to bear the weight of the expectations of an entire country.

“This time around, I’m swimming for myself,” she said, “to prove to myself I can do it. And I’m really happy just to be doing it for myself.”

And there are a few milestones left for Evans to chase. She can become the first woman to win the 400 free in consecutive Olympics since American Martha Norelius in 1924 and ’28. She can also become the first woman to win the 800 free back-to-back.

Mark Schubert, the former Mission Viejo Nadadores coach who now coaches Evans, says Evans doesn’t need any extra motivation.

“Janet still enjoys swimming,” he said. “She enjoys the competition, even the challenge of training. She could have taken the (endorsement) money and retired after the ’88 Games and no one would have blamed her.

“But she decided not to and you’ve got to give her a lot of respect for that. That says everything about her motivation.”

To pursue her goals, Evans renounced the final two years of her college eligibility in the spring of 1991 after the NCAA imposed limitations on student-athletes’ training schedules. She left Stanford to train at the University of Texas with Schubert, who boasts an alumni list of distance-freestyle proteges that includes Shirley Babashoff, Mike O’Brien and Sippy Woodhead.

“I’m more than happy about the decision,” Evans said. “I love Texas, I’m having a great time. And I don’t think I’d even still be swimming if I were at Stanford. So I’m very happy about the decision.”

So, of course, is Schubert, who says Evans’ presence in the pool--and on deck as a volunteer assistant coach--is one of the reasons the Longhorn women finished 1-2-3-4 in the 500-yard freestyle at the NCAA championships, helping Texas win the title.

“I’ve admired Janet since my days at Mission Viejo,” he said. “I recruited her at Texas and was excited to get her on the rebound. I think it’s been a very positive situation for both of us. She’s been training superbly since the trials. Her performance at Ft. Lauderdale is indicative of that and the last three weeks have been as good as I’ve ever seen.

“It’s very tough for a woman to keep up with Janet in practice, so she’s been training with Lawrence (Frostad, an Olympian who will compete in the 1,500-meter freestyle). It’s good to have somebody faster than her. She thrives on competition in practice.”

Evans, who leaves for Europe today, completed a month of altitude training in the mountains above Salt Lake City last week. She came down feeling like king of the hill.

“I’m ready,” she said. “I feel good. I think we’re all anxious to see what we can do at sea level.”

Evans lost her 1988 spot in the 400-meter individual medley at the trials when Sanders and Erika Hansen edged her into third place. She was disappointed at the time, but--as is her nature--she has since found a bright side.

“I’ve been training freestyle a lot better since I haven’t had to worry about my IM,” she said. “I was disappointed, I wasn’t going to just give my spot away, but it’s easier to train now without having to worry about my butterfly or my breaststroke.”

And that should prove to be bad news for 1992 Olympians with gold-medal aspirations in the distance freestyle events.

“Everyone says I’m old,” she said, “but maybe I can prove them wrong.”