Lure of ’96 Olympics Brings Sanders Out of Retirement

Summer Sanders, who retired last year because she no longer enjoyed swimming, announced her comeback Friday, saying she wants to compete in one more Olympics.

Sanders, 22, who won more medals than any other American swimmer at the Barcelona Games in 1992, potentially gives the U.S. women’s team a big boost heading toward the 1996 Games in Atlanta.

“Something just came over me recently that if I’m going to try it again, this is going to be my last shot,” she said.

Sanders made the decision to return last week after talking to coaches and friends. Sanders, who has been living in Brentwood with boyfriend Jim Klein, a former Stanford football and volleyball player, said she is moving to Colorado Springs, Colo., on Sunday to train with the national resident team.

She plans to compete in the 100- and 200-meter butterfly and 200 individual medley, focusing primarily on the 200 fly. She won two gold medals, a silver and a bronze at Barcelona, and was a six-time NCAA champion at Stanford, where she earned a degree in communications.

Since retiring, Sanders has worked as a motivational speaker for her sponsors, as a commentator for CBS Sports and as a hostess of an MTV beach sports-related show.

“I’m going to have to get my arms going again,” she said. “I’m going to get those swimmer shoulders again . . . and just get my endurance back in the water.”

She expects to swim in her first comeback race next month at Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.