Carter, 43, Wows Sport’s New Wave

It was Paul Carter’s first competition in 13 years and it had been 23 years since he was a member of Tennessee’s first national championship swim team. But on Saturday at the Speedo Grand Challenge at Heritage Park, the 43-year-old swimmer showed he still has what it takes to compete with some of the best.

Among a field of 92 swimmers, Carter, of Santa Monica, finished fourth in the 100-meter butterfly behind 16-year-old Michael Cavic, a member of the Yugoslavian Olympic team; 20-year-old Roland Schoeman, who will compete in the upcoming World Championships, and 21-year-old Jeff Somensatto, who finished third in the 200 butterfly at the Spring Nationals.

Cavic, of the Irvine Novaquatics, out-stretched Schoeman for the victory in 55.28. Schoeman hit in 55.30. Carter clocked 58.45.

“Look at that guy,” Somensatto said to Schoeman, while Carter took his place on the medal stand. “He’s in better shape than I am. He’s ripped.”

It’s all part of a four-year plan to qualify for the next Olympic trials, said Carter, who is recovering from bronchitis. He quit swimming at the age of 30, after failing to qualify for the trials in 1988. Bored with running and working out at the gym, he decided to try the pool again.

“I was just lying in bed my last birthday and I started wondering how fast I could go,” Carter said. “I’m still trying to figure out things. I don’t feel that good in the water yet.”

Chad Carvin of the Mission Viejo Nadadores won his third and fourth titles in two days, winning the 200 freestyle in 1:52.12 and the 400 individual medley in 4:30.28.

Gabrielle Rose of the Novaquatics took two seconds off her preliminary time to win the 200 freestyle in 2:02.52.

In the women’s 100 butterfly, UCLA’s Beth Goodwin powered past California’s Natalie Coughlin in the final 15 meters. Coughlin, the NCAA swimmer of the year, had just set a meet record in the previous event, the 100 backstroke (1:02.79), and couldn’t hold off Goodwin’s sprint.