Olympic Champion Evans Decides to Attend Stanford

Janet Evans, who won three gold medals in swimming at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games, said Thursday that she has signed a letter of intent to attend Stanford next year.

Evans, a senior at Placentia El Dorado High School, has been besieged by recruiters in recent weeks. She said she chose Stanford for its academics and its strong swim program.

The Cardinal won the 1989 National Collegiate Athletic Assn. women’s swim championship. Stanford also took the title in 1983 and has never finished lower than third since 1977. Stanford’s new coach is Richard Quick, who was the U.S. Olympic swim coach in the Games last fall. Quick was formerly the women’s swim coach at Texas.

“I had a hard time deciding,” Evans said. “Texas, Florida and Stanford all have good programs. But I really like the girls on the team at Stanford. I liked the school and I can get a good education.”

Evans said she plans to major in communications, adding: “I like working with people and would like to do something in broadcasting.”

She also wants to swim in the 1992 Olympics at Barcelona, Spain.

Evans holds world records in the 400-meter individual medley, 400 freestyle and 800 freestyle. She won gold medals in all three events at the Olympics.

Her victories in Seoul brought numerous endorsement offers. However, Evans said that she turned down the offers to maintain her amateur standing.

“At first, it was tempting, but I’ve always wanted to swim in college,” Evans said. “I didn’t want to forfeit my education. I’m 17; I want to be a kid for a while longer.”

Evans began gaining attention in 1986 with two bronze medals in the Goodwill Games at Moscow.

Her small stature (5 feet 4 inches, less than 100 pounds) and unorthodox style of swimming, which El Dorado Coach Tom Milich has likened to a Cuisinart, made her unique in the swimming world. Evans said she takes 52 strokes of freestyle per 50-meter pool.

At the U.S. Swimming Open in 1987, Evans set world records in the 400 freestyle (4 minutes 5.45 seconds), 800 freestyle (8:24.71 seconds) and 400 individual medley (4:39.75). She later lowered her time in the 400 freestyle to 4:03.85.

She was the first female swimmer to hold three world records at one time since Debbie Meyer held four in 1968. The last female swimmer to hold three was Kornelia Ender of East Germany in 1976.

Despite her success, Evans continued to swim for her high school team. Last year, she set national high school records in the 500-yard freestyle (4:37.30) and 200 individual medley (2:00.72).

She is favored to win those events again Saturday in the Southern Section 3-A finals at Belmont Plaza in Long Beach.

Evans said her college choice was the hardest decision she has ever made.

“My parents said they would support whatever decision I made,” she said. “I weighed the pros and cons and picked Stanford. I’m really happy with the decision and think it’s for the best.”