Vendt, Krayzelburg Make U.S. Olympic Swim Team
August 11, 2000 | Men's Swimming & Diving
Aug. 11, 2000
INDIANAPOLIS -
USC sophomore-to-be Erik Vendt became the first Trojan swimmer to make the U.S. Swimming Olympic team for the 2000 Olympics in Sydney when he finished second in the 400-meter individual medley on the second day of the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials at Indianapolis, Ind., on Thursday (Aug. 10).
Vendt, a distance specialist who will swim the 1500 meters on Aug. 13, surprised himself and most everyone else involved with USA Swimming when he touched second behind Tom Dolan. Vendt swam a lifetime-best 4:13.89, just behind Dolan and more than a second ahead of Tom Wilkens, one of the favorites in the event.
Only the top two finishers in each event qualify for the Olympics.
Vendt's reaction to making the squad early in the trials in one of his "weaker" events? "Just chaos. Utter chaos."
"I just hadn't expected to go that fast," said, Vendt, who made the U.S. team after taking fourth in the 400-meter freestyle on Wednesday. "Right now, I can't describe how happy I am. It's a lifetime of work paying off.
Trojan alumnus Lenny Krayzelburg, the best backstroker in the world for more than two years, took the latest step to prove it on the sport's biggest stage when he finished first in the 100-meter backstroke final in 53.84 on Friday night (Aug. 11). It was slower than his semifinal time of 53.67, but still more than a second ahead of second-place Neil Walker (54.85). Fellow former Trojan Brad Bridgewater, who won Olympic gold in 1996 in the 200-meter back, finished seventh in the race (55.82).
USC women's swimmer Michala Kwasny, a sophomore-to-be, continued her bid to make her first Olympics, qualifying fourth for the 200-meter individual medley finals in 2:16.50. She took sixth in the 400m IM finals on Wednesday. Former Trojan and 1996 Olympic gold medalist Kristine Quance-Julian just missed the finals, taking ninth in 2:17.49, and senior-to-be Corrie Murphy just missed the semifinals, taking 18th in prelims (2:20.00).
Another former Trojan who made the finals was Karen Campbell. She took fifth in the 100-meter butterfly in 59.20 on Thursday.
Lindsay Benko, yet another Trojan alum, qualified with the third fastest time (2:00.76) out of the 200-meter freestyle semifinals on Friday. One of the favorites in the event, Benko will try and secure her first Olympic spot on Saturday night.
