Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, April 14, 1991 TAG: 9104140120
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: MISSION VIEJO, CALIF. LENGTH: Medium
Spitz was behind at the start and even farther behind at the finish, hitting the wall 1 1/2 lengths behind Jager.
Jager, the 26-year-old world champion and world record-holder in the 50-meter freestyle, earned $20,000 for the victory and Spitz got $10,000.
Jager got a strong start and swam across the pool in 24.92 seconds, almost two seconds ahead of Spitz, who finished in 26.70. The winner of seven gold medals in 1972 had hoped for a far better time.
"I don't think the loss was disappointing," he said. "I hate to admit that I was probably swimming for second but I thought I could swim in the low 25s."
Spitz called it nerves.
"I think I could have walked across the pool faster than I swam across it, the nerves were so great," Spitz said.
Skeptics may call it simply old age and lump Spitz in with Jim Palmer, another fortysomething athlete who found he couldn't compete with today's twentysomethings.
Appropriately enough, Spitz's race was sponsored by Clairol to promote a men's hair product that covers gray hair.
Even though Spitz lagged at the start, he briefly caught Jager just before the 25-meter mark, but after that, Spitz almost appeared to be swimming in slow motion.
"I got it handed to me nicely and decisively by the fastest guy in the world," Spitz said. "I'm sure I'll feel a lot more relaxed now that I've got one under my belt."
It was, after all, the first time in 18 1/2 years that Spitz had raced competitively. The last time was in Munich, where he set a record that may never be equalled - seven Olympic gold medals.
A year and a half ago, he made the improbable announcement that he was starting to train again with the hope of making the U.S. Olympic team in the 100 butterfly.
He enlisted the help of UCLA swimming coach Ron Ballatore. Ballatore agreed with Spitz that nerves were a factor in the race.
"I feel that if he were to have relaxed more and kept his stroke he would have done a lot better," said Ballatore, who is overseeing Spitz's training. "He hasn't looked like that at all in practice."
Neither Spitz nor Ballatore have disclosed practice times, but Spitz said he has swum at least a second faster in practice and thinks he can do so in his next match race.
On April 27, he will meet Matt Biondi, a 1988 Olympic silver medalist in the 100 fly and an even tougher opponent than Jager. The financial stakes are higher, too, with the winner taking home $35,000 of a $50,000 purse.
Spitz is hardly a dinosaur, but his race indicated how the sport has changed since his heyday. Jager was all start and power, while Spitz used the same finesse stroke that once made him the world's greatest swimmer.
"I think what you saw there was a contrast in style," Jager said. "I knew after 18 years that a lot of things in the sport of swimming have changed.
"We take the start more seriously than they did when Mark was swimming."
But Jager was respectful enough of his elders to commend Spitz's choice of opponents on the road back.
"He went right after the best guy in the world in his first swim out," Jager said. "He's doing it honestly."
But honesty won't be enough to qualify Spitz for the U.S. Olympic trials. Regardless of how he fares against Biondi, Spitz's times will have to improve drastically.
by CNB