University Southern California Trojans
USC Well Represented On U.S. Swimming Team of Century
April 05, 2000 | Men's Swimming & Diving
April 5, 2000
For more than a year now, the good people at United States Swimming have been compiling the American "Team of the Century." They selected 26 men and 26 women, the same amount the U.S. swim teams will carry this year at the 2000 Olympics.
They put together a 24-person expert panel made up of historians, swimming writers, Olympic coaches and members to help select the team. Among the panel were current USC Coach and six-time Olympic Coach Mark Schubert, former USC Coach and two-time Olympic Coach Peter Daland, former USC assistant coach Janet Evans and former Trojan Olympic medalists John Naber and Sippy Woodhead.
The results are in and USC is as well represented on the team as it is on the panel.
Six former Trojans are on the team, led by Naber (Class of 1977), who was named to both the 100m and 200m backstroke events as well as to the 400m medley relay, and Woodhead (Class of 1987), who was chosen for the 200m freestyle and the 400m and 800m freestyle relays.
Dave Wharton (Class of 1991), a seven-time NCAA champion, Olympic silver medalist and former world record holder in both IM events, was tabbed for the 200m individual medley squad.
Lenny Krayzelburg (Class of 1998), the current defending world champion in both the 100m and 200m backstrokes and the world record holder in both events in short and long course meters, was selected for the 200m back event.
Bruce Furniss (Class of 1979), the 1976 Olympic champion in the 200m free and 800m free relay and the one-time owner of four world records, was named to the 800m free relay team.
Evans, considered one of the greatest distance swimmers ever, was named to both the 400m and 800m freestyles.
Krayzelburg is the only current athlete among the Trojans on the list and he is the current favorite to win gold in both backstroke events at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney in September.
But first Krayzelburg will have to compete at the U.S. Olympic Trials (Aug. 9-16 in Indianapolis), where he will be joined by quite a few current and former Trojans who will be looking to make the U.S. team.
Among the strong candidates for making the team are freestyler Lindsay Benko, butterflyer Karen Campbell, distance freestylers Erik Vendt and Mark Warkentin (both are good IM swimmers as well), backstroker Brad Bridgewater and IM specialist Kristine Quance-Julian.
Many more Trojans will be competing at the U.S. Olympic Trials and quite a few more USC swimmers will be in Sydney representing their respective countries. USC's international contingent already includes Brazilian backstroker Leonardo Costa, who has made his country's team, and could very well equal or surpass the Trojans' U.S. squad. Only time will tell.
The swimming portion of the Olympics is Sept. 16-23. Mark your calendar.
