Except for the sign -- WELCOME OLYMPIANS - nothing appears to be out of the ordinary these days at the Cottonwood Heights Recreation Center swimming pool. Teenagers are working on their tans; kids are playing in the water; Mom's got her nose in a book; and Janet Evans is taking a few laps.
What? Do a double-take. Yep, that's her. The teenage star of the 1988 Olympic Games - now 20 years old - is stroking the pool. So are several of her Olympic teammates - Nicole Haislett, Erika Hansen, Dara Torres, Lawrence Frostad, Tripp Schwenk and Melvin Stewart - many of whom are bound to turn up on your TV set soon. In all, seven members of the 1992 U.S. Olympic swim team are in the pool, while coaches Mark Schubert and Mitch Ivy watch from the sidelines."We're very happy to be here," says Schubert. "The facilities are fantastic, and the people have been very cooperative."
This isn't California or Florida; it's Utah - not exactly a swimming haven. Nevertheless, these Olympians, who arrived June 15, have set up their training camp in Utah for a month to make final preparations for the Olympic Games. Why, you're wondering. For years U.S. swimmers have made annual or bi-annual trips to Colorado Springs for a month or so of altitude training, but the athletes were ready for a change. Schubert, who learned of the Cottonwood facility years ago while coaching the famed Mission Viejo team, decided to bring his swimmers to Salt Lake City this time.
"We stay in army barracks (at Colorado
See SWIM on D2
Springs) and eat dorm food," says Evans. "And there's no TV. Life isn't fun there. This is a lot better than Colorado Springs. It's beautiful here, and the people are nice. It's a lot better situation to train in."
"It's so boring there (in Colorado Springs)," says Frostad. "There is nothing to do."
Says Schubert, "The plan was to give the (Olympic) athletes the flexibility of working with their home coaches. They could go to Flagstaff or Colorado Springs or stay at home."
Schubert and Ivy moved their swimmers into a condominium at Snowbird. From there, they commute to Cottonwood for morning and evening workouts (8 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.).
"We live at 8,500 feet," says Schubert. "Just walking around we get altitude training."
"I've been surprised," says Frostad. "I wondered if this was going to be like Colorado Springs. It's beautiful here. The facilities are good, and there are things to do." Frostad walks the trails above Snowbird for 90 minutes each day as part of his dry-land training routine.
Besides training, the Olympians also will compete in the Cottonwood Heights Invitational Swim Meet Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The meet will include 400 swimmers from several western states.
The Olympians will continue to train in Utah until they rejoin the rest of the U.S. team in Florida on July 9. A short time later they will set up training camp in Sarbonne, France, before reporting to Barcelona for the Olympics.
"The women's team is probably our best since '78 and has a chance to be the best ever," says Schubert. "The men will definitely be the best team there (in Barcelona), but they will be challenged in every event."
As for the seven Olympians training in Utah, Schubert says, "Everyone here has a legitimate shot at a medal, and several have a shot at a gold medal."
Here is a brief look at the Olympians training in Utah:
Janet Evans, Placentia, Calif. - Evans needs little introduction. She was one of the stars of the Seoul Olympics, in which she won three gold medals, in the 400-meter individual medley, the 400 freestlye and the 800 freestyle - while still a high school student. She owns three world records and seven American records and ranked first in the world last year in three events - the 400, 800 and 1,500 freestlye. At the Olympic trials, she won the 400 and 800 freestyle.
Lawrence Frostad, Sacramento, Calif. - Frostad was virtually unknown until 1988, when he shed 40 pounds and finished fourth in the 400 freestlye at the Olympic trials. He has won four national championships, all in the last year and a half, and last year ranked sixth and seventh in the world in the 400 and 800 freestyle events, respectively. He made the Olympic team by finishing second in the 1,500 freestyle at the trials.
Nicole Haislett, St. Petersburg, Fla. - Ranked second in the world last year in the 100 and 200 freestyle events, she is part of U.S. swimming's New Kids on the Block - as featured in Sports Illustrated and The Sporting News. Haislett, a nine-time national champion, was the 1991 world champion in the 100-meter freestyle and two relays. At the 1992 NCAA Championships, she broke the oldest American record in the books, with a time of 1:43.28 in the 200 freestyle. She made her first Olympic team by winning the 200 free with the second fastest time in U.S. history, and by finishing second in both the 100 free and 200 individual medley at the Olympic trials. Schubert believes Haislett, though overshadowed by a couple of her teammates at the moment, has a chance to be the top medalist at the Olympics.
Erika Hansen, King of Prussia, Pa. - Hansen, who has won five national championships, made her second straight Olympic team by finishing second in the 400-meter individual medley, the 400-meter freestyle and the 800 freestyle at the Olympic trials. She ranked 14th in the world last year in the 200 butterfly.
Dara Torres, Gainesville, Fla. - A former world and American record holder, Torres retired for two years before making a comeback in 1989. This year she became only the fifth American woman in history to make three Olympic teams. Torres, a 10-time national champion, made the '92 team in the 400-meter freestyle relay by finishing fourth in the open race at the trials. She has won four Olympic medals, all of them in relays - gold and silver in 1984, and silver and bronze in '88.
William "Tripp" Schwenk, Sarasota, Fla. - Schwenk made the Olympic team with a second-place finish in the 200 backstroke at the Olympic trials. Last year he won two gold medals and one silver at the World University Games and ranked seventh in the world in the 200 backstroke.
Melvin Stewart, Charlotte, N..C. - Stewart, a 10-time national champion, defeated Germany's renowned Michael Gross (a.k.a. the Albatross) in the 200 butterfly and set a world record in the process at the 1991 World Championships. He also holds the American record in the 200 butterfly. Stewart won the Olympic trials for the second time in the 200 butterfly with the second fastest time in history and finished second and third in the 100 butterfly and 200 freestlye, respectively. He was fifth in the 1988 Olympic Games 200 butterfly. Last year he ranked No. 1 in the world in the 200 butterfly and 10th in the 100 butterfly.