Benko Is Still Going Strong

The end of the road is still out of sight for Lindsay Benko. In fact, the 2000 Olympic gold medalist believes her swimming career is just picking up speed.

Benko won the 100-meter freestyle and finished second in the 400 freestyle Friday, highlighting the second day of competition in the TYR Swim Meet of Champions at the Marguerite Recreation Center in Mission Viejo.

Benko, 25, was the oldest swimmer to reach any of the championship finals in the four women’s events Friday. She looked strongest in the 100 freestyle, trailing 2000 Olympian Gabrielle Rose by half a second at the halfway point before inching ahead to win in 57.02 seconds. Rose, who swims for the Irvine Novaquatics, was second in 57.09.

“I don’t know why I’m swimming as fast as ever,” said Benko, a graduate of USC who still competes for the Trojan swim club.

Benko said she has renewed enthusiasm for her career, which took a scary turn last July when she broke her kneecap while jumping into the pool the first day she arrived in Japan for the world championships. She bounced back to win the 200 freestyle at the national championships a month later, then set a world record in the event in April in the World Short-Course Swimming Championships in Moscow.

“Hurting myself made me realize how much I love to swim,” said Benko, who won a gold medal at the Sydney Games as part of the 800 freestyle relay.

Benko plans to swim the 200 freestyle today, when the meet continues with the men’s and women’s 200 breaststroke, 50 freestyle and 400 individual medley.

Benko’s teammate, Joanna Fargus, won the 200 backstroke in 2:15.00. Emily Mason of Arizona Desert Fox won the 200 butterfly (2:13.03) and 400 freestyle (4:15.32). Chad Carvin of the Mission Viejo Nadadores won the men’s 400 freestyle in 3:57.08.