WORLD SCENE : Evans’ Pursuit of Caulkins Beats Out Pan-Am Games

Janet Evans, already one of the world’s greatest distance swimmers, is trying to become America’s most decorated by breaking Tracy Caulkins’ record of 48 national titles. Evans has 42, and counting.

But by pursuing this lofty goal, Evans will have to skip the Pan American Games next month in Argentina because the U.S. spring nationals in Minneapolis are scheduled at the same time.

Although she has won Olympic and World Championship gold medals, Evans, 23, has never competed in the Pan-Am Games. She was hoping to get her chance this year until realizing it interfered with the quest to pass Caulkins, who retired in 1984.

“It shows U.S. Swimming was not concerned about the athletes,” Evans said. “The athletes pay the price once again.”

U.S. Swimming says Evans is the only one affected by the scheduling conflict.

“I don’t know what their reason was, but it was a stupid reason,” Evans said. “They should start looking out more for the athlete than the interest of themselves.”

The reason the nationals are being held during the Pan American Games is simple. U.S. coaches wanted this year’s schedule to approximate next year’s so the swimmers will peak for the U.S. Olympic trials and the Atlanta Games. The trials will be held at the same time as this year’s nationals.

*

Conflict, cont.: The U.S. Open indoor championships Nov. 30-Dec. 2 in Auburn, Ala., are scheduled during the short course world championships in Rio de Janeiro, but U.S. swimmers are not planning to compete in Brazil.

*

Double winner: Samantha Riley of Australia was recently in Los Angeles to accept the Amateur Athletic Foundation’s World Trophy. Riley was the first woman to win both breaststroke races in world championship competition, which she did in September.

She was one of the few to outswim China’s women, who won 12 of 16 events at the world championships, and were criticized for using anabolic steroids. A month later at the Asian Games seven Chinese swimmers were caught using a banned male hormone.

“I was just lucky,” Riley said of her ability to beat two Chinese breaststrokers in Rome. “It’s been real frustrating for us.”

*

On track: Defending world champion Marty Nothstein, four-time world champion Connie Paraskevin-Young, U.S. national sprint champion Jeff Solt and Scandinavian champion Lars Nielson are scheduled to compete at the Gran Prix Track cycling series starting March 5 at the Dominguez Hills Olympic Velodrome.

*

Troubled times: After losing a sponsor, the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame has moved to a back room of an insurance company office in Somerville, N.J.

*

Who’s next? With Bonnie Blair’s speedskating career ending, some are concerned about America’s future in the sport. Not Blair.

“I think we definitely have a lot of promising skaters coming up,” Blair said.

She was proven right on Sunday when Becky Sundstrom, 18, of Glen Ellyn, Ill., won the overall title in the World Junior Speedskating Championships in Seinajoki, Finland.

*

The plunge: Synchronized diving will make its American debut at the Phillips 66 national diving championships April 19-23 in Midland, Tex.

Are we ready for it or what?

World Scene Notes

Looking ahead to a shrinking budget after the 1996 Summer Olympics at Atlanta, the U.S. Olympic Committee has voted to organize two instead of three Olympic Festivals between 1997-99. Now, cities interested in playing host to the event have been advised that there might be only one Festival during those years, probably in 1999. . . . The announcement by the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games (ACOG) last week of torch relay plans for the 1996 Summer Olympics revealed a softening in the relationship between Atlanta and the Greeks, who were resentful after Atlanta won the bid over Athens to organize the Centennial Games. But the Greeks have agreed to participate fully in the relay, starting with the kindling of the Olympic flame from the rays of the sun in a traditional ceremony at Olympia, Greece. . . . Sandy Nelson Bell, a 1972 Olympian, will compete in the spring swimming nationals on the 25th anniversary of her first senior national competition. Nelson, 38, from Pasadena but now living in Austin, Tex., will swim the 50-meter freestyle.

Times staff writers Helene Elliott and Randy Harvey contributed to this report.