OLYMPIC REPORT / 36 DAYS TO THE GAMES

The last chance--at least locally--to appreciate the continuing excellence of swimmer Janet Evans before the Olympics will be at the Mission Viejo Nadadores Swim Meet of Champions.

Evans, tuning up for her third consecutive Olympics, will swim in five individual events during the four-day competition at the Marguerite Swim Center, starting today at 5 p.m. in the 800-meter freestyle. Additionally, she is entered in the 200 backstroke, 400 freestyle, 200 freestyle and 1,500 freestyle. In Atlanta, she will compete in the 400 and 800.

Another U.S. Olympian, sprinter Gary Hall Jr., was a late withdrawal because of sinus and ear infections. Hall, a top threat in the 50 and 100 freestyles, has had a rocky spring and summer. He recently made another coaching switch, from Troy Dalbey to Mike Bottom, and failed to reach the finals in the 50 and the 100 at the Speedo Invitational last month in Phoenix.

Other U.S. Olympians scheduled to compete at Mission Viejo include 14-year-old Amanda Beard of Irvine, Kristine Quance of USC, Annette Salmeen of UCLA, Brad Bridgewater of USC and Brad Schumacher of Tiger Aquatics. In all, 19 Olympic swimmers from countries such as Poland, Ecuador and Canada are expected to compete.