Hall Is Full of Confidence After Convincing Effort

Call off the charisma search party.

Swimmer Gary Hall Jr. is back in fine form -- in and out of the pool -- and none too soon. It took Hall all of 22.26 seconds to get there, winning the men’s 50-meter freestyle Saturday night at the Janet Evans Invitational in Long Beach, and not much longer to throw down a challenge to the world, through the assembled media.

“If this is an indicator, I think I’ll be swimming faster than any man swum before,” said Hall.

Finishing second was Bart Kizierowski of Poland in 22.31, and Jason Lezak of the Irvine Novaquatics took third in 22.65. Saturday’s action drew 3,465, organizers said.

Veteran Hall watchers know this meet record, and fast time, is an excellent sign for him about a month away from the U.S. Olympic trials, which will be at this venue. Hall is the defending Olympic gold medalist in the 50, tying in 2000 with countryman Anthony Ervin, who retired earlier this year.

In fact, Ervin, who finished in 22.30 in 2000 here, had held the meet record at the Evans competition.

Hall admitted to be surprised by his time, saying, “With more rest, I can get on top of the water. And I was plowing through tonight. With rest I’ll be swimming faster, much faster.”

Hall holds the American record of 21.76. The world record of 21.64 has been held for about four years by Alexander Popov of Russia.

Hall, 29, expects to redefine the limits of the 50.

“I think it’s humanly possible to go 21.5 seconds,” Hall said. “And I expect it.... If anybody’s going to beat me, they’re going to have to go faster than 21.5.”

You might say the 50 is something of a swagger and a splash.

“You’ll feel the intensity at the trials,” Hall said. “If you get third at the Olympics, you’re a medal winner. If you get third at the trials, you’re sitting on the couch, gripping a remote control like everyone else.”

At the other end of the spectrum was low-key Australian Ian Thorpe, who won his second individual race here, taking the men’s 200 freestyle in a meet-record 1:45.63. His world record, set in 2001, is 1:44.06.

“I’m pleased with that, really pleased with that result from where we are and how far out we are from Athens,” he said. “I swam well here. And pretty quick in some of my races.... It’s a good foundation leading into Athens.”

Thorpe is ready to return home to Australia after a long trip to the United States, which featured several weeks working out in altitude at Flagstaff, Ariz. His coach, Tracey Menzies, was pleased with how Thorpe responded here after the training.

“He actually swum faster than I expected, so that’s good,” Menzies said. “If anything, he probably did more than what I asked of him.”

But Thorpe isn’t one to get carried away about this unbeatable stuff.

“I’m not unstoppable,” he said. “I’ve had too many injuries and too many sicknesses to know how mortal I really I am. Like everyone else, things happen to me and I have had a lot of setbacks as well.”

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Another two-event individual winner was Natalie Coughlin, who won the women’s 200 freestyle in 1:58.31. Other winners included Tara Kirk in the women’s 200 breaststroke (2:28.46), Kaitlin Sandeno in the women’s 400 individual medley (4:44.98) and Erik Vendt in the men’s 400 individual medley (4:16.50).