SWIMMING : Evans, Bruner Start Quickly, Win Easily

Janet Evans and Carlton Bruner used the same quick getaway during their 800-meter freestyle events Thursday in the Janet Evans Invitational swim meet at USC.

Evans, the world record-holder and four-time Olympic gold medalist from Placentia, sprinted away from the women’s field with an opening 100-meter leg of 1 minute 2.58 seconds. Bruner blitzed the men’s field with a 59-second opening leg.

“I like to go out fast and hold on,” he said.

From there, they poured it on.

Evans, 21, broke her 1991 meet record by 1.1 seconds with a time of 8:34.53, 16 seconds faster than runner-up Alexis Larsen, 16, of CLASS Aquatics, and three seconds faster than the meet record she set three weeks ago in Mission Viejo.

“We’re very pleased with that,” said her coach, Mark Schubert of Trojan Swim Club. “And I feel she’ll just get better as the meet goes on, just like she did in Mission Viejo. From what I’m seeing her do in practice, I’m sensing something special. She’s on a pretty good high right now.”

Evans’ high is unusual because of the timing. Usually, world class swimmers are in cruise control the year after the Olympics.

Bruner, 21, of Florida Aquatics finished in 8:13.48, 9.2 seconds ahead of Chad Carvin of Laguna Hills.

As a joke, Bruner dedicated the race to his teammate, Spanish Olympic gold medalist Martin Zubero, because of Zubero’s penchant for hanging on the lane ropes in practice.

But Bruner drew more laughter each time his name was announced on the public address system. He was repeatedly called “Thomas,” his given name, but a name he never uses.