Rouse Continues Strong Comeback

Jeff Rouse wouldn’t put himself through a comeback if he didn’t believe he had a chance. Rouse, a two-time Olympic gold medalist in the 100-meter backstroke and the event’s top-ranked swimmer in the world from 1989 to 1996, continued to show he’s serious about making the United States 2004 Olympic team.

Rouse, 33, looked strong while finishing second in the 100 backstroke Sunday in the Janet Evans Invitational at USC. Rouse finished in 56.20 seconds, right behind former Stanford teammate Peter Marshall (56.17), who at 21 is among the top backstrokers in the U.S.

“I’m real happy,” said Rouse, a former world-record holder in the event. “It’s right at the time I had when I was shaved at the spring nationals.”

Rouse ended a six-year layoff last year, returning to the pool to lose weight. He felt strong enough that he challenged himself to return to his old form. He quit his county government job near his hometown of Fredericksburg, Va., and returned to the Bay Area, where he competed in college and trained to win Olympic gold medals in 1992 and 1996.

Adrienne Binder set the second meet record of the four-day event. Binder, of Santa Barbara, finished first in the women’s 1,500 freestyle in 16:20.08, surpassing the previous record of 16:27.78.

That mark was set last year by Hayley Peirsol of Newport Beach, who will join Binder at Auburn next year.

Binder and Kalyn Keller of Phoenix, another recent high school graduate who will swim for USC in the fall, swam stroke for stroke during the early part of the race, but Binder pulled away to win by four seconds. Keller’s time of 16:24.88 also bettered the previous meet record.

Keller, who won the 800 freestyle Thursday, didn’t take a break afterward, returning minutes later to swim in the consolation final of the 100 butterfly.

Diana MacManus, who will be a senior at Irvine High in the fall, won the women’s 100 backstroke in 1:02.97, and her teammate on the Irvine Novaquatics, Bethany Goodwin, won the 100 butterfly in 1:00.43.

Jayme Cramer of Stanford won the 100 butterfly in 54.14.

Kaitlin Sandeno of the Trojan swim club won her fourth event of the meet, but had to share it with former high school rival Kristen Caverly of San Clemente. They tied for first in the 200 individual medley, finishing in 2:15.95.