Sandlund Finds the Way to Victory

When it came to workouts, Asa Sandlund was a lion in the water.

There was no set or practice that would tire the Swedish swimmer, who started training with the Mission Viejo Nadadores last October. The harder the workout, the better she would swim.

But when it came to swim meets and competition, Sandlund was a lamb.

“I was flat. I just couldn’t do what I was doing in practice,” said Sandlund, a 20-year-old who swam for Sweden in the 1996 Olympics. “I worried too much about the other swimmers. That’s my problem.”

Sandlund and about 500 other swimmers will be competing today through Sunday in the Swim Meet of Champions in Mission Viejo.

Bill Rose, who coaches Sandlund at Mission Viejo, said her first few meets with the Nadadores were less than inspiring.

“She worked well in practice and had great times, but when she competed, she didn’t perform up to her training,” Rose said. “She had a confidence problem. She questioned herself, wondering if she was up to the caliber of the competition. Nevermind that she competed in the Olympics.”

Rose said he found the solution at Junior Nationals in March.

“We did a little experimenting, and we found that as long as we kept her working, doing [workout] sets before her event, she would do great,” Rose said.

Rose said he has had swimmers like Sandlund before.

“Some people are different,” Rose said. “Asa needs to be in the workout mode. She can’t be sitting around and worrying about her event. So when she works out before her event, her heart rate is up, but her adrenaline isn’t flowing.”

At the Speedo Grand Challenge in Irvine last month, Sandlund stayed in the warmup pool until moments before the start of her race in the 800-meter freestyle. She won in a meet-record 8 minutes 56.10 seconds and also won the 400 freestyle (4:22.62).

“I think if she continues she should be a finalist at NCAA’s next year [she’s going to USC in the fall] and break into the top 25 in the world,” Rose said.

Sandlund said before coming to Mission Viejo, she trained briefly with the Phoenix Swim club in Arizona. However, her Swedish coach, Ove Callheim, told her she should go to the Nadadores.

“I went there [Phoenix] because there were a couple of Swedes swimming there,” Sandlund said. “But my coach told me I should go where they have a great distance program.”

Sandlund, who lives with a host family in Mission Viejo, spends most of her time in the pool.

“I love California, so I wanted to stay in Southern California, where I would also be close to Mission Viejo,” she said. “USC seemed like the perfect school.”

Sandlund will be leaving Sunday to go back to Sweden, where she will compete in the European Championships on July 4.

Besides today’s 800 freestyle, Sandlund will be competing in the 400, 200 and 100 freestyles. She will get her first big test today when she swims against El Toro High’s Kaitlin Sandeno, who won the 800at Spring Nationals two months ago and is currently ranked second in the world.

Said Sandlund: “I think I’m going to have a good meet. I’m going home Sunday to see my family and friends. I’m very happy and it will be with me in the pool.”

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Swim Meet

* What: Swim Meet of Champions, the summer’s top West Coast meet.

* When: Today through Sunday. Competition begins at 5 today with the 800 freestyle. Preliminaries begin at 9 a.m. Friday through Sunday. Finals start at 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 4 p.m. Sunday.

* Where: Marguerite Aquatic Swim Center, 27474 Casta del Sol, Mission Viejo

* Participants: Some of the nation’s top swimmers, including Olympians and college, high school and age-group champions, including: Misty Hyman, Brad Bridgewater, Ashley Tappin, Kaitlin Sandeno, Chad Carvin, Amanda Beard, Bart Kizierowski, Aaron Peirsol, David Tong, Philippe Demers, Jason Lezak, Derya Buyukuncu, Kristine Quance-Julian, Kristen Caverly, Bobby Brewer, Asa Sandlund, Shannon Cullen, Staciana Stitts, Blaine Morgan, Jessica Hayes, Daniel Kim, Allen Ong, Juan Rodela, Jamie Cail, Mark Warkentin, Shauna Barnard and Sarah Jones.

* Admission: $2 each day for prelims, $4 each day for finals; $15 for all-session pass.

* Information: (949) 380-2552