SWIMMING : Evans Sets a Meet Record in Winning the 400 Freestyle

There was not much question who the featured performer was in the Janet Evans Invitational at USC on Friday when Evans set a meet record in the 400-meter freestyle.

Evans, a four-time Olympic gold medal winner, is the world record-holder in the 400, 800 and 1,500 meters.

Her time in the 400 on Friday, 4:12.25, shaved .01 off the meet record, which she set last year. It was nowhere near her world-record time of 4:03.85, which she set in 1988, and slightly slower than the goal of 4:11 which she had set for the race.

Even so, Evans swam far in front of the rest of the field.

“It is good for me because I learn how to pace myself and swim against the clock,” said Evans, 22, who trains with USC coach Mark Schubert.

Evans won a timed final of the 800 on Thursday in 8:35.32 but said she felt sore during the event. Evans said she felt better during the 400 on Friday and will compete in the 200 freestyle today and in the 100 backstroke on Sunday.

Jenny Thompson of Stanford won the 100 freestyle in 57.39 in her first competition since suffering a broken hand in May on a water slide in Palo Alto. In 1992, Thompson set the world record in the 100 meters, 54.48.

Most of the competitors are using the invitational to gear up for the U.S. national championships Aug. 14-19 at Indianapolis, where they will compete to represent the nation at the World Championships in Rome in September.

The meet continues today with preliminaries beginning at 9 a.m. and finals beginning at 5 p.m.