Swimming and Diving Roundup : Janet Evans Collects Pair of Wins

Janet Evans, a triple gold-medal winner in the Seoul Olympics, scored two victories Friday as the United States continued to dominate the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships at Tokyo.

Evans won the women’s 400-meter individual medley in meet-record time, then pushed the 800-meter freestyle relay team to a meet-record victory.

For the second consecutive day, the U.S. team won six of nine events in the 50-meter Yoyogi National Olympic swimming pool. Australia, China and Canada each won one race.

In the 400-meter individual medley, Evans took the lead after 100 meters and easily won in 4 minutes 39.38 seconds for her 20th straight victory.

Evans, representing the Fullerton Aquatic Sports Team, finished about 10 meters ahead of China’s Lin Li, who was timed in 4:45.69.

A few minutes later, Evans teamed with Mitzi Kremer, Stacy Cassiday and Julie Kole to win the relay in 8:03.33, more than three seconds better than the former meet mark. Japan was second in 8:14.83, followed by Canada.

“I was really satisfied with my strokes today,” Evans said.

American Richard Korhammer was a winner for the second time in two days, taking the 100-meter breaststroke in 1:02.95.

Doug Gjertsen, who won the 200-meter freestyle Thursday, swam with the victorious U.S. 800-meter freestyle relay team, which was timed in 7:20.87.

American Brent Lang won the 100-meter freestyle in 49.56 seconds, narrowly beating Australian Andrew Baildon, who was clocked in 50.03. Gjertsen finished third.

Yong Zhuan gave China its first victory, taking the women’s 100-meter freestyle in 55.68, which broke the meet mark of 55.86 set by Dara Torres of the United States in 1987. Jenny Thompson of the United States, was second in 55.84.

Australian Michael McKenzie won the 800-meter freestyle in 7:58.99, edging American Dan Jorgensen, who was clocked in 8:01.29.

Kent Ferguson of Boca Raton, Fla., and Wendy Lucero of Aurora, Colo., completed sweeps of the springboard events in the U.S. Outdoor Diving Championships at Raleigh, N.C.

Ferguson scored 671.82 points to win the men’s three-meter final after taking the one-meter event Thursday. Second-place Mark Bradshaw, who had the lead after three rounds, finished with 636.96 points.

Lucero won consecutive titles by scoring 472.05 in the morning’s one-meter finals and returning seven hours later to win the three-meter event with 502.77.

Nine-time U.S. champion Kelly McCormick of Columbus, Ohio, finished second to Lucero in the three-meter final with 468.15 points.