These Olympians Still Have to Finish Their Homework

From the Olympic trials to the Olympic Games is a whirlwind tour for swimmers from the United States, with stops at Sea World and Dodger Stadium--where they do well not to pick up any pointers on competing.

There are flu shots and uniform fittings. And there’s practice, practice, practice.

For two Orange County swimmers, there is added pressure: homework.

Aaron Peirsol and Kaitlin Sandeno will miss a month of school. “That’ll be nice,” said a smiling Sandeno, who will be a senior at El Toro. “But I’m going to take my books with me and maybe a laptop.”

Schoolwork, though, is the last thing on Peirsol’s mind.

“When the Olympics are over, I go straight to it,” said Peirsol, who will be a junior at Newport Harbor. “Right now, I’m still soaking everything in. I’m realizing I’m going to get to meet so many people and have all kinds of opportunities. There are going to be all kinds of great athletes there, not just swimmers. Hopefully, I’ll get to watch other athletes compete. It’s going to be wild.”

The first big moment, Peirsol said, will be the opening ceremonies.

“I remember watching Muhammad Ali light the flame in 1996 and the torch lighting in 1992,” Peirsol said. “It’s going to be like nothing I have ever been through before.”

He might want to snap a few photos for Sandeno. She will miss the ceremonies because her first race is scheduled the following day.

“No opening ceremonies for Kaitlin,” Sandeno said. “I’ll be in my room watching.”

Peirsol will swim the 200-meter backstroke in Sydney. Sandeno has qualified in the 400 individual medley, 800 freestyle and 200 butterfly.

UNFRIENDLY SKIES

While swimmers raved about the trials, which were held in Indianapolis, they were less enamored with the mode of transportation.

Most flew United Airlines, an Olympic sponsor, but squabbles between management and labor made it a less than pleasant experience.

Members of the Mission Viejo Nadadores and Irvine Novaquatics sweated out long delays going to the trials. The Novaquatics also were delayed on the return trip.

But the Sandeno camp had the roughest time. They were stuck in Chicago, where United officials told them they could fly to Dayton, Ohio, or wait until the next day.

Not wanting to go farther east or wait any longer, Sandeno’s coaches rented a car and drove from Chicago to Indianapolis, a mere 179 miles.

NO. 2, BUT TRYING HARDER

There are obstacles ahead for Peirsol and Sandeno.

Only once has Peirsol beaten Lenny Krayzelburg, the world record holder in both the 100 and 200 backstroke. He edged Krayzelburg in the 200 backstroke at the Janet Evans Invitational, the first time Krayzelburg had lost a race in nearly two years.

“I almost forgot what it was like to win,” Peirsol said afterward.

Krayzelburg beat Peirsol in the 200 at the trials.

Sandeno’s quest in the 200 butterfly is equally difficult. Misty Hyman has dominated the event for the past year, so much so that Sandeno chose to swim the event because no one seemed to have a chance at Hyman.

“I knew I had a good shot in that event,” said Sandeno, who had competed in that event in only one national meet before the trials. “There is Misty and after Misty there was a big time difference.”

Not that Sandeno is conceding anything.

“I really want to beat Misty and I have only one more meet this summer,” Sandeno said. “We’ll see.”

MOMENTS REMEMBERED

The 1976 and 1980 Olympic swim teams were honored during the trials. No two teams could have had a more different experience.

The 1976 men’s team might have been the United States best in Olympic history. They brought home 25 of 33 medals in individual events and 10 of the 11 gold medals, setting nine world records. U.S. swimmers swept in three events, the 200-meter freestyle, 200 backstroke, 100 butterfly and 200 butterfly.

“To me, there are three huge moments in Olympic history,” said Gary Hall, a swimmer in the 1968, 1972 and 1976 Olympics. “Mark Spitz winning seven gold medals. The United States defeating the Soviet Union in ice hockey and the 1976 men’s swim team.

“Doc Counsilman, our coach, told us he anticipated us sweeping every event. He wanted us to finish 1-2-3 in everything. We didn’t quite achieve that, but we came close.” Hall, a Rancho Alamitos High graduate, was part of one sweep, as he finished third in the 100 butterfly. Matt Vogel won the gold and Joe Bottom the silver.

“I remember that I wished it had been a 90-meter race instead of 100,” said Hall, now a 49-year-old optometrist in the Phoenix area. “I swam a time that I thought I needed to win (54.65 seconds). The other two guys had different ideas of what it would take.” Still, it was Hall who captured the moment, with the image of him lifting his son in the air poolside after the race. Gary Hall Jr. later made the Olympics as a swimmer and won two gold medals in relays.

“For me, that was the neatest thing,” Hall said.

Gary Hall Jr. qualified for the 2000 games in the 50 and 100 freestyle. He set an American record in the 100 freestyle (21.76 seconds) at the trials.

The memories are bitter ones for the 1980 team members. They stayed home after President Carter decided to punish the Soviet Union for its invasion of Afghanistan by imposing a boycott on the Moscow games.

“The whole thing stunk,” said Brian Goodell, who set world records in the 400 and 1,500 freestyles during the 1976 games.

“There were so many other things this country could have done to get the Soviets out of Afghanistan, but we did the least effective.”

Goodell did not get a showdown with the Soviet Union’s Vladimir Salnikov at the Moscow Games. Salnikov had broken Goodell’s 400 freestyle record in April of 1979. He would break Goodell’s 1,500 record at the 1980 Olympics.

“I slept a lot that summer,” Goodell said. “I was pretty depressed. I wasn’t able to get up and go to morning practices. It was pretty much a lost time for me. I was having severe depression and really struggled for a guy who was supposed to be the best in world in his sport. I felt pretty weak.”

Some of that lingers to this day.

“We’re still working on it,” Goodell said. “It took a long time. It just hurt. The Olympics are something that, in a perfect world, transcend politics. I guess that’s unrealistic. It’s sad when you think about it.”

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