Other names: EVANS, Janet Elizabeth

Born: 28 August 1971

Birthplace: Fullerton (United States)

Nationality: United States

Sport: Aquatics

ATTENDANCE AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES

Seoul 1988

Barcelona 1992

Atlanta 1996

AWARDS

Olympic medals:

Gold: 4

Silver: 1

Other results:

World Championships

Gold: 3 (91, 94)

Silver: 1 (91)

Bronze: 1 (94)

The Mighty Mite of Long-Distance Swimming

Despite her small size and unorthodox windmill stroke, Janet Evans was a natural-born swimmer who was swimming laps at the age of two, literally before she was out of diapers. In 1987, when she was 15 years old, Evans, who weighed only 43kg, broke the world record in both the 800m and the 1,500m. Both records had been on the books for more than seven years. Later that year she broke Tracey Wickham's nine-year-old record for 400m. At the 1988 Seoul Olympics, Evans won her first gold medal in the 400m individual medley. Three days later, she won the 400m freestyle by more than two seconds and broke her own world record by 1.6 seconds. She added a third Olympic victory in the 800m freestyle, defeating Astrid Strauss of East Germany by almost three metres. Evans entered the 1992 Barcelona Olympics with a six-year winning streak at 400m. However, in the Olympic final, Dagmar Hase of Germany caught Evans in the last lap and beat her by about 30 centimetres. Two days later, Evans had no such disappointment in the 800m, easily defending her title by leading from start to finish and winning by eight metres. Evans made one final appearance at the Olympics in 1996, placing sixth in the 800m. Between 1986 and 1995, Janet Evans won 25 out of 27 major international races at 400m and 22 out of 23 at 800m. Her world records for the 400, the 800 and the 1,500, set in 1988 and 1989, have yet to be broken.