SWIMMING : Wagstaff’s 200 Double: Butterfly, Backstroke

Janie Wagstaff dominated the 200-meter butterfly and the 200 backstroke in the Janet Evans Invitational Friday, serving notice that she is much more than an Olympic backstroker.

Wagstaff’s emergence as a butterflyer could earn her an extra event in the 1996 Olympic Games now that ’92 Olympic butterflyers Summer Sanders, Crissy Ahmann-Leighton and Angie Wester-Krieg are expected to retire.

Wagstaff, 18, of Florida Aquatics, broke away from breaststroke specialist Kristine Quance of CLASS Aquatics in the first 20 meters en route to capturing the 200 butterfly in 2 minutes 16.14 seconds.

Only 10 minutes later, she churned through the 200 backstroke, touching in 2:16.58, 2.8 seconds faster than runner-up Jill Jenkins of Phoenix Swim Club.

“It wasn’t that bad,” Wagstaff said of having to recover so quickly between races. “I’m going to have to do it at nationals (July 26-30 in Austin, Tex.), so I have to get used to it.”

In the men’s 200 backstroke, world record-holder and Barcelona gold medalist Martin Zubero won despite a four-month layoff.

With his victory in a meet record 2:00.25, the third-fastest time in the world this year, Zubero is already replicating his midseason times.

“I’m just having fun,” Zubero said. “Last year, there was a lot of pressure to win (the Olympic gold medal).”

Janet Evans, the meet’s namesake, set her second meet record in as many days. Her 400 freestyle time of 4:12.26 was 0.2 faster than the mark she set in 1989.

Evans pulled away from the field and built a huge gap through the last half of the race, finishing 8.9 seconds ahead of Laurie Kline.