Janet Evans comeback?

RE: Janet Evans comeback?

ande — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 03:24:05 GMT

Needs to update her website her Career Highlights: say Still holds 400, 800 1500 freestyle World Records I wonder: How much she's training? guess someone could ask her agent evan@pmgsports.com How fast she could go if she totally went for it? How fast those who broke her records would have gone if they wore the same kind of suit?

RE: Janet Evans comeback?

Karen Duggan — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 03:12:48 GMT

I read somewhere that she didn't get her entries in on time. She can go in my spot as I'm not going, although I didn't enter any freestyle.

RE: Janet Evans comeback?

Karl_S — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 02:14:11 GMT

Well, that might make me want to go to ARIZ nats... 'don't see her in the psych sheets:(

RE: Janet Evans comeback?

Former Member — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 16:56:06 GMT

I wouldn't be surprised to see a 4:50-4:55 in the 500 from her this spring. If she's closer to 4:40, then there will be a lot to talk/speculate about.

RE: Janet Evans comeback?

Former Member — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 16:11:35 GMT

My daughter asked Janet once why she thought she performed better than anyone else. Janet said she just worked harder. I think that saying swimmers have "talent" just discounts all the work they do. Or you could view what Evan's said (if she said it) as an insult to swimmers who work really really hard and don't make the Olympics ( I don't actuall view it that harshly). (Besides, she got slower. Did she quit working hard?) Everyone knows it takes both. One you are born with the other one is a choice. Some are born with the talent but don't make the choice to do something with it. Some are born without talent but make the choice to try and squeeze everything out of what they got.

RE: Janet Evans comeback?

knelson — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 12:31:32 GMT

her body changed and it was difficult to make adjustments Considering how much she grew it's pretty impressive she didn't fall off more. She was just a tiny thing in Seoul in '88 and her stroke seemed totally adapted to that slight frame. I guess the bottom line is she's incredibly talented and a fierce competitor and that kept her on top when others might have faltered. I certainly wouldn't want to count her out from getting to the top again if that's her goal.

RE: Janet Evans comeback?

Ahelee Sue Osborn — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 12:26:19 GMT

Anyone see this interview yet? tv.swimmingworldmagazine.com/.../6791 Long... but by the end Garrett brings it out. Ed Moses likely coming back -on a bet.

RE: Janet Evans comeback?

Gail Roper — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 10:58:52 GMT

My daughter asked Janet once why she thought she performed better than anyone else. Janet said she just worked harder. I think that saying swimmers have "talent" just discounts all the work they do.

RE: Janet Evans comeback?

Former Member — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 16:14:44 GMT

Re: drop-off from '88-89 to '92 and '96 I used to work out w/ Janet back in high school (a couple of lanes over, I must admit), and while I was not privy to what was going on for her, I do recall hearing from mutual friends... She got burned out to a degree her body changed and it was difficult to make adjustments the limelight and the pressure took a massive toll Again. This is very 2nd hand and 15 years+ ago, so take it w/ a grain of salt. It's also not too revealing. But if she's anywhere near where she was in training back in the early '90s, she'll be a threat to qualify. She used to routinely pull sub 4:20's during sets in workout. Typical set back in '87, '88: 5x400 lcm warm-up on 5:00 then 4:50 4:40 4:30 4:20 She would make the set easily.

RE: Janet Evans comeback?

knelson — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 09:58:11 GMT

We never had stroke 50s in age group meets, either. At least not above the 11-12 age group. That was always fine by me. Sprints were certainly never my forte.

RE: Janet Evans comeback?

BrandonNE — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 08:38:32 GMT

GO JANET!!! I think she is going to shock people!!! You can bet she will show up at USA Swimming meets.. Hope to see her at the 2012 Trials and Masters Nationals

RE: Janet Evans comeback?

Allen Stark — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 08:20:21 GMT

I only swam BR in HS,100 mostly but 200 a couple of times when we swam against college JVs and 50s as relay time trials.Now at 61 I am faster than my HS times in all 3.I train smarter,I race smarter,but also I wasn't that good in HS and the rule changes in BR have made it a totally different stroke.

RE: Janet Evans comeback?

swimshark — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 07:01:31 GMT

You swam stroke 50s in HS or are you talking about relay splits? As far as I know the high school order of the events is very standard across the US and includes the stroke 100s, 50-500 free, 200 IM and the 200 medley and 200 (since the early '90s or so) and 400 free relays. I've definitely gone faster in masters than in HS in the 100 and 200 free. I think those are the only ones. I'm sure I'm faster in the 50, too, but my HS coach was smart enough not to ever put me in that event! :) When I say HS I mean HS age. Some of my times are from age group meets, like the 50s. The 100s are generally from HS meets, though. The only 50 I see listed as a HS meet is from a relay, although I did graduate prior to 1990's :afraid:

RE: Janet Evans comeback?

Former Member — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 16:13:16 GMT

Well I'm not much help data-wise as I never swam distance until Masters. I swam 200m free at my back-of beyond club only once a year and never dropped below 2.30. I beat that at the ripe old age of 28 having not swum much at all from age 18-25, and I went on to do a PR when I was 31 about 18 months after having my first baby. Sprint-wise, I came very close to PRs in 50 free, 100 free and 50 fly (but was still a good 2 secs off my 100 fly) at 28 and before I got pregnant. After then I concentrated on longer distances - it was easier to train for the distance free than fly in the group I swam with. Maybe I missed a golden opportunity of swimming distance as an age grouper - who knows? And now another 5 years on I staggered in at 2.33 on 200m free this summer in a hot pool shortly after finishing an IM. But that's what a second baby and an international move does to you! :blah::blah::blah: So I have no idea really - personally I feel my distance has improved as I have got older and I find it harder to find that explosive excitement necessary to sprint.

RE: Janet Evans comeback?

Former Member — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 08:16:58 GMT

Lars Frolander - Just check the news - yesterday at age 36 he won the 100 fly at the World Cup is Stockholm - 51.26 for 100 meters (sc) fly - that's just off his lifetime best of 50.44 (scm) in 2000 (the year he won the Olympic gold). Swimmers (and others) just keep expanding the perceived age limits for high level human performance. Nice grab. I would say that 51.26 isn't quite "just off" 50.44 but we are mid-season so I think it qualifies for what we are looking for. I thought the last time Lars announced came back (this is not the first time ) he was only going to be doing freestyle.

RE: Janet Evans comeback?

Karl_S — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 07:00:46 GMT

Let's see, I have my HS record book in front of me. I have beaten my 50 fly, 100 fly, 200 ***, 50 *** (just barely), 100 free, 50 free, 200 IM and 100 IM. It's very impressive that you have taken down your HS times across the board, the 200 *** and 200 IM, especially so. I didn't compete for 26 years (but swam quite a lot on and off over the years and stayed active). I'm 46 now. In HS my focus events were 500 free & 200 IM, and to a lesser degree 100 back. I haven't even tried the 500 or 200 IM in masters. My best guess based on practice times is that I would be 25-30s off in the 500 and 10s off in the IM. I'm several seconds off from my HS 100 back best. I led-off the 4x100 free relay often in HS and I'm now within 't a HS event, but I am quite certain that I have beaten my age-group best in that event. Based strictly on my experiences, it looks like the lomger the event, the more challenging it is to regain your former speed, as is a theme in this thread. Is this due to some aspect of the aging process, or because I swim 1/3 the yardage that I did in HS? I don't know, and tripling my yardage isn't going to happen any time soon. Perhaps more will respond and provide more data.

RE: Janet Evans comeback?

That Guy — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 03:32:19 GMT

'curious here: What events have you beaten your HS best times in? Were these your focus events in HS? ...and how many years did you go without competing? I have beaten my best HS time in Masters in these events: 200 free, 500 free, 200 IM, 100 fly, 100 back. At my final high school meet, tapered and shaved, I swam the 200 free and 100 back and led off the 400 free relay. I surprised my coach by choosing the 100 back instead of the 100 fly. It's not a high school event, but I've also handily beaten my high-school-era time in the 200 back. I have NOT beaten my best HS time in Masters in these events: 50 free and 100 free. I've gotten pretty close in the 100 free. If I ever swim the 100 free tapered and shaved in Masters, I should beat my HS time easily. Although it is a high school event, I don't recall ever swimming the 100 *** in high school, so I haven't listed it in either category. I didn't swim the 200 fly, 400 IM, 1000 free, or 1650 free until college. And I didn't swim the 200 *** until Masters :)

RE: Janet Evans comeback?

knelson — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 03:32:14 GMT

RE: Janet Evans comeback?

swimshark — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 03:23:55 GMT

'curious here: What events have you beaten your HS best times in? Were these your focus events in HS? ...and how many years did you go without competing? Let's see, I have my HS record book in front of me. I have beaten my 50 fly, 100 fly, 200 ***, 50 *** (just barely), 100 free, 50 free, 200 IM and 100 IM. *** was my focus stroke. Mostly the 200 ***. Once my knee went bad, I switched to fly. Now I'm really a distance swimmer but in working on improving my distance events, my sprint events have gotten faster. I am 40 now. I stopped competing for 11 years - from when I was 18 until I was 29. I didn't swim in college.

RE: Janet Evans comeback?

Karl_S — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 01:57:47 GMT

I'm curious as to how you view high yardage vs lower, targeted yardage? I can tell you I was doing higher volume, 5 days a week as a kid but now I'm doing lower volume 4 days a week in my 40's but I'm beating my HS times. It can be done. 'curious here: What events have you beaten your HS best times in? Were these your focus events in HS? ...and how many years did you go without competing?

RE: Janet Evans comeback?

oldwahoo — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 12:14:11 GMT

Really? Name one besides Dara Torres. Lars Frolander - Just check the news - yesterday at age 36 he won the 100 fly at the World Cup is Stockholm - 51.26 for 100 meters (sc) fly - that's just off his lifetime best of 50.44 (scm) in 2000 (the year he won the Olympic gold). Swimmers (and others) just keep expanding the perceived age limits for high level human performance.

RE: Janet Evans comeback?

200free — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 02:15:47 GMT

Therese Alshammar from Sweden is 33 and almost broke the world record in the 100 fly this weekend. Nice to see swimmers shattering the old myth that you had to retire from the sport after college. I hope Janet does make a comeback. It would be great to see whether it's possible for a distance swimmer to get back to top shape at that age. She looked like she was in great shape when she appeared on Celebrity Circus last year so at least she's not starting from scratch.

RE: Janet Evans comeback?

Former Member — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 15:12:50 GMT

I seem to recall that Evans fell off alot from 92 to 96. She will have to be faster than she was in 96 to make the team. It doesn't matter who you are or were, just going out there and giving it your best is admirable.

RE: Janet Evans comeback?

Frank Thompson — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 11:51:09 GMT

Lefty: I agree that its admirable and no matter what happens it will be big boost to USMS to have Janet be a USMS member and swim in our meets. There was a drop off between 92 and 96 but there was a bigger drop off from 88/89 to 92 from the WR times that were swam in the 400 Free and 800 Free. Her winning time in the Olympics in 1988 was 4:03.85 compared to the time of 4:07.37 in 1992 for silver. Her 8:17.12 in 1988 and 8:16.22 in 1989 were faster than her winning time 8:25.52 in 1992. In 1996 she swam a 8:38.91 for a sixth place but I don't believe that year she went under an 8:30 and her time at OT was 8:33.60 and in the 400 Free she was 9th missing the finals by two seconds at 4:13.60 when at the Olympic Trials she went for 4:10 and would have easily qualified for the final with that time. I remember a protest was filed by USA to FINA because Michelle Smith entered a qualifying time past the FINA deadline for submitting a time for this event at the 1996 Olympics and FINA upheld the time and denied the protest otherwise she would have been able to swim the 400 Free final.

RE: Janet Evans comeback?

Patrick W. Brundage — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 11:30:05 GMT

It doesn't matter who you are or were, just going out there and giving it your best is admirable.Absolutely. Even if she doesn't make whatever lofty goals people might expect of her, I hope she continues to swim Masters, that she finds the joy in it that many of us do and that that encourages more former super-stars to jump back into the pool. I love going to Nationals and seeing/hearing stories about the guys and gals in the pool who swam in Olympics past and are still going strong. It's incredibly motivating.