Unshaven Carvin Still Proves to Be Cut Above

The stubble on Chad Carvin’s face was anything but what you would expect from a swimmer who had just posted a world-class finish.

Carvin grinned and acknowledged that the scruffy appearance and unshaven body hair made his impressive victory in Saturday’s men’s 200-meter freestyle at the Swim Meet of Champions in Mission Viejo all the more improbable.

“I’ll have to shave for the Olympic trials. I have no choice about that,” he said.

On another day when well-trained and tapered Japanese swimmers knocked off records right and left, Carvin’s meet-record 1:50.13 stood out on the U.S. highlight reel.

Hungarian Olympian Bela Szabados went out fast, turning the first 100 meters in a pool-record pace of 53.46. But Carvin caught him in the turn heading into the last 50 meters and sprinted to victory to the delight of a crowd that had been starved for a top-notch U.S. performance.

Carvin, formerly of Laguna Hills High, echoed the thoughts of many U.S. swimmers at this meet, saying that it’s still too early to draw conclusions based on what happens this weekend.

“Back in April we began a major block of work,” Carvin said. “I’m just getting used to it, and this win is a step in the right direction. But this is only a first step. By the time of the trials, I’ll make another couple of steps.”

Another U.S. swimmer, Anthony Ervin of Phoenix, won the 50-meter freestyle with a meet record of 22.88 seconds, while El Toro High senior Kaitlin Sandeno wowed spectators with an impressive victory in the women’s 400 individual medley. Among those Sandeno defeated was Japan’s Yuko Nakanishi, who finished third.

But the latter accomplishment was once again the exception, not the rule, as Japanese swimmers won five more events, setting four more meet records in the process. They swept the first three places in the women’s 200-meter freestyle and men’s 400-meter individual medley, while taking the top two spots in the women’s 200-meter breaststroke and men’s 200-meter breaststroke.