ORANGE COUNTY OLYMPIC NOTEBOOK : Springer’s Veteran Comeback Washes Out Rookie Error

Greg Springer, a rower competing in his third Olympics, says he made a mistake on Wednesday that only a rookie should make.

As he and his partner, Jonathan Smith of Swampscott, Mass., aligned their boat before the start of their double sculls repechage heat on Lake Banyoles, Springer said, “I let one of my oars end up where it shouldn’t have been.”

The 2,000-meter race started, and the Americans found themselves in everyone else’s wake.

“We spotted all the other boats three boat-lengths,” said Springer, 31, a Costa Mesa resident and former UC Irvine rower.

And then he laughed, because it didn’t matter in the end.

“We finished the race and I said, ‘Jon, I’m sorry. That was a rookie error,’ Springer said. “He said, ‘Yes, but it was a veteran comeback.’ ”

Springer and Smith had charged back to overtake the field, then coasted to a second-place finish and a berth in today’s semifinals. The top three in each heat advanced.

The pair’s recovery was the talk of the athletes’ village in Banyoles, Spain, the Olympic rowing venue.

“Everyone I see on the streets wants to talk about our sportsmanlike conduct--for spotting the other crews to make it more sporting,” Springer said.

Springer and Smith were competing in the repechage--or “second-chance”--heats after finishing second to the powerful German crew in Monday’s heats, in which only the top finisher advanced.

But by finishing second Wednesday--keeping a safe cushion between themselves and third place--they reached the semifinal field of 12.

“Today’s race was kind of embarrassing,” Springer said. “I’ve been doing this a long time, and I always pride myself in not making mistakes and always being healthy. And here I am, I have a cold, and I made a mistake.”

Janet Evans has not folded after being upset by .19 second in the 400-meter freestyle Tuesday, when the world-record holder was beaten in the event for the first time in six years.

The former El Dorado High School standout had the best qualifying time--8 minutes 32.69 seconds--in the 800 freestyle heats Wednesday as she advanced to today’s final.

Evans, 20, is the world-record holder in the 800 and set an Olympic record of 8:20.20 at the Seoul Games.

In her 800 heat, Evans raced head-to-head with Australian Hayley Lewis, who had the second-best qualifying time, 8:33.04. Lewis also chased Evans in the 400, winning a bronze behind her Tuesday when Evans had to settle for silver after losing to Germany’s Dagmar Hase.

Michael Chang, seeded sixth in the singles tennis competition, needed a fourth set to defeat his opening-round opponent, Argentine baseline specialist Alberto Mancini, 6-1, 6-4, 3-6, 6-0.

“People said it was hot, but I didn’t realize it was going to be this hot,” said Chang, who has a home in Coto de Caza. “It was a relief to get the first match over with--going my way. Alberto’s no easy customer on clay.”

Chang--no easy customer on clay himself--said he is enjoying his Olympic experience, but finds it difficult to compare it to a Grand Slam event.

“I place it very high, but as far as it being equal with Wimbledon or the U.S. Open, that’s down the road,” he said.

“I like being in the village, being surrounded by other athletes. I’ve been talking to a lot of them. Nothing really deep, but I’m making a lot of friends.”

Some of his new Olympic athlete friends also want his autograph.

“I guess it’s just part of the enthusiasm of being at the Olympics--and tennis being a pro sport. People are more familiar with us coming in.”

Chang said he has attended some of the swimming competition. And, yes, he has coveted tickets to a U.S. men’s basketball game.

“In safekeeping,” he said.

Steve Timmons’ bald head might turn into a marketing bonanza for his San Diego-based Redsand sportswear company.

Timmons, one of the stars of the U.S. men’s volleyball team at the Barcelona Olympics, shaved his famous flattop Tuesday in a display of solidarity for teammate Bob Samuelson and then watched as the rest of the team followed suit.

The impromptu haircut could have been measured in dollars and cents for Timmons because his face serves as the logo for Redsand. But not to worry. The company has come up with a new, albeit temporary, logo.

“He (Timmons) called me first thing (Tuesday) morning to tell me that he had shaved his head and said we would have to figure out a new logo,” said Jim Austin, who co-owns Redsand with Timmons, who is from Newport Beach. “It’s a very simplistic, high-contrast design. The flat top is gone. It’s just the head without hair. It’s a six-color design on a white shirt with all the primary colors of the Olympics, plus gray. We’ve used some symbols that resemble the Olympic rings but are not necessarily the rings.”

Austin said the company put the new logo only on shirts because it would take too long to do it on hats and other souvenirs. The shirts apparently are becoming a hot item.

“We’ve sold 200 dozen (Wednesday) over the phone,” Austin said. “We’ll probably sell a few dozen more in the next few days. . . . We are sending a few dozen over to Barcelona for Steve and the rest of the team.”

And what happens to the Redsand logo after the Olympics?

“Obviously his hair will grow back and we’ll use the old logo once again,” Austin said. “This is just kind of a novelty thing right now.”

This report was compiled by Times Staff Writer Robyn Norwood.