Sandeno Makes a Short Statement

The 100-meter freestyle isn’t one of Kaitlin Sandeno’s top events, but her performance Friday at the TYR Swim Meet of Champions in Mission Viejo suggested otherwise.

Sandeno, the American-record holder in the 400 individual medley, won the race in a personal-best 56.27 seconds, beating Lacey Nymeyer by .26 of a second.

“I’m sure the win will turn some heads,” said Sandeno, who won gold, silver and bronze medals at the 2004 Olympics. “A lot of people think of me as a long-distance swimmer. It is important to be an all-around swimmer.”

Sandeno will race in the 50-meter freestyle, 200-meter freestyle, and 400 IM today.

Reiko Nakamura of Japan won the women’s 200 backstroke in 2:11.64. The race also featured Sandeno, who finished fourth, and four-time Olympic gold medalist Yana Klochkova of Ukraine, who finished eighth.

“In about six months, I’ll be ready again,” Klochkova said.

Jason Lezak set a meet record with a time of 49.09 in the men’s 100 freestyle. Lezak, the world-record holder in the event, flinched before the start of the race, but used a strong push in the second half to earn his top unshaved time of the year.

“To be honest, I’m lucky I wasn’t disqualified,” he said. “I don’t know why, but I jumped at the beginning.”

A day after sweeping the 800-meter freestyle races, the Japan team won five events. Ryuichi Shibata’s 1:57.59 in the men’s 200 butterfly was a meet record and Ai Shibata, an Olympic gold medalist in the 800 women’s freestyle, won the 400 freestyle with a time of 4:12.57.

Today’s preliminaries begin at 9 a.m., the finals at 5 p.m.