Long Beach Wants to Play Host Again

By Kelsie Smith

July 14, 2004 12 AM PT

Times Staff Writer

Rich Foster, president of the Long Beach Sports Council and the man most responsible for getting the U.S. Olympic swim trials in his city, would figure to be upbeat about the event. But he had tangible evidence of its success.

“Our Sunday prelims, something that doesn’t draw well in swimming, ended up doubling the attendance for the [2000] finals in Indianapolis,” he said.

While his team needed a couple of weeks of rest, Foster said the city would probably like to bid for the 2008 Olympic trials, before the Games in Beijing.

“I think we’ve shown Long Beach to be the perfect city,”

For Diana Munz, the last week has been a roller coaster.

On Thursday morning, she failed to qualify for the 400-meter freestyle finals, finishing ninth. But then Lindsey Benko dropped out to concentrate on the 200 freestyle, and Munz got a second chance. It didn’t do much good -- she finished third.

On Monday, she avoided a repeat of that experience, placing second in the 800-meter freestyle preliminary race behind Kalyn Keller. And Tuesday night, she finished the job, taking first place in a close 800 freestyle final.

“I’ve already put myself through a ton of stress,” she said. “ ... I was really nervous for the 400. I kind of blew that off and wanted to come out here and have fun, and I did.”

By finishing fifth in the 800-meter freestyle, Hayley Peirsol ended the streak of siblings making the Olympic team. If she had placed first or second, Peirsol would have joined her brother Aaron on the team, along with brother and sister Klete and Kalyn Keller and sisters Tara and Dana Kirk. It would have been the first time three sets of siblings had competed on the same U.S. Olympic team, USA Swimming officials said.

When is a gold really gold? It actually becomes a pertinent question when it comes to the $1-million incentive for Michael Phelps from Speedo should he match Mark Spitz’s record seven Olympic gold medals.

Would a morning preliminary swim on the 400-medley relay in Athens count should Phelps not swim in the final at night at the Olympics? Stu Issac, vice president of sales and marketing, gave his view.

“It certainly is a gold medal,” Issac said Tuesday night. “We’ll do what’s right.”

Kristen Caverly, a San Clemente native who attends Stanford, qualified for the U.S. team in the 200 backstroke, finishing second in 2:12.70.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

Tuesday’s Swimming Finals

Winners qualify for the Olympic Games. Second-place finishers are expected to be named to the team.

WOMEN

200-METER BACKSTROKE

1. Margaret Hoelzer, 2:11.88

2. Kristen Caverly, 2:12.70

800-METER FREESTYLE

1. Diana Munz, 8:26.06

2. Kalyn Keller, 8:26.33