Quance Fleeting, Not Fame

U.S. Olympic team member Kristine Quance is still amazed when strangers wish her luck and children ask her for her autograph.

That was the scene Sunday after her victory in the 200-meter individual medley on the last day of the Swim Meet of Champions at Mission Viejo Aquatic Complex.

As boys and girls handed Quance their swim caps, T-shirts, meet programs and anything else that a signature could be written on, people would walk up to the USC swimmer and offer words of encouragement for the Olympics.

“It just overwhelms me when total strangers will wish me luck,” said Quance, whose Olympic events include the 200 IM and the 100 breaststroke. “It makes me very proud that people I don’t know will take the time to say good luck at the Olympics. . . . And the kids, I can remember when I used to do the same thing when I was young. It makes you want to do good.”

Though Quance’s winning time of 2 minutes 16.82 seconds was well off her Olympic Trial time of 2:13.76, she was still happy.

“I was a little concerned a month ago,” Quance said. “I wasn’t doing too well and my times were not really coming down. But I feel good right now, and I think I’m right where I want to be as far as the Olympics.”

Quance, 21, will be competing next week in Santa Clara, where she plans to swim in only one event: the 100 breaststroke. Earlier on Sunday, she was touched out by Olympic teammate Amanda Beard, who won the event in 1:10.87.

Though Misty Hyman missed the Olympic team by only three-hundredths of a second in the 100 butterfly, the 17-year-old junior from Shadow Mountain High in Phoenix has no intention of letting go of her Olympic dreams.

Hyman set a meet record in the event in 1:00.22.

Hyman also won the 100 backstroke in 1:03.34, and Sachiko Yamada, 13, of the Japan Junior National Team, won the 1,500 freestyle in 16:40.09.

In the men’s events, Sabir Muhammad won the 100 butterfly (55.26) and Lenny Krayzelburg beat teammate and U.S. Olympic team member Brad Bridgewater in the 100 backstroke in a time of 56.67.