Fast times

Swimming World and Junior Swimmer, Nov 2002

Kitajima Breaks World Record. Japan's Kosuke Kitajima, 20, broke the oldest men's world record in the book on Oct. 2 at the Asian Games in Busan, South Korea. Kitajima clocked 2:09.97 for the 200 meter breaststroke, erasing the USA's Mike Barrowman's time of 2:10.16, set in winning gold at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992.

All was not lost for Barrowman, now a coach and dive master in the Cayman Islands. His swimmers feted him with a Loss of World Record Party and cake.

China's Thorpe. Here's a name to remember: Wu Peng (pronounced "Woo Pung"). Wu, who just turned 15, won three golds at the Asian Games and increasingly is being touted as "China's Ian Thorpe." Wu set an Asian record in the men's 400 meter IM (4:15.38), a national record in the 200 fly (1:56.63) and won the 200 back (2:00.40).

Wu Wu. Another Wu-Wu Yanyan-retired suddenly and without explanation right before the Asian Games in October. Wu's world record in the women's 200 IM (2:09.87) is universally regarded as drug-tainted. Also missing from the Asian Games was Luo Nan, ranked second in the world in the women's 200 meter breast (2:24.41).

Fast Times in High School...The 2002-03 high school season got off to a blazing start at the NSPI High School Invite in Orlando, Oct. 4-5. Bill Mrazek (Leon HS) threw down a 57.78 to win the 100 yard breast and 1:52.20 to take the 200 IM, while Annie Babicz (Sarasota HS) docked 1:03.83 to take the girls' 100 breast. Bryce Clough (American Heritage HS) swam a snappy 100 fly (49.92)/100 back (51.49) double. Bolles and St. Thomas Aquinas placed 1-2 in team scoring. That same weekend in Phoenix, Millennium HS freshman Skye Elbert was a double winner at the Xavier College Prep Invite, taking the 50 free (24.11) and 100 back (58.29). Hosts Xavier and Brophy took the girls' and boys' team titles.

...and Masters. Forty-year-old Masters swimmer Karlyn Pipes-- Neilsen swam an amazing 4:58.98 500 yard free at a USAS meet on Oct. 6 to become the first woman over 40 to break the 5-minute barrier.

People

She Likes Ike. Four-time U.S. Olympic swim star Dara Torres-the second-most medaled Olympic female swimmer in history and AR-holder in the 50 meter free and 50 and 100 meter fly-is engaged to Dr. Itzhak ("Ike") Shasha, a general and vascular surgeon in West Palm Beach, Fla. Ike popped "The Question" when the couple was on a visit to Israel in September (see page 22). No date has been set yet for the wedding.

Quick Decisions. Sprinters apparently are not only fast in water, they're quick to make up their minds as well. Two of the USA's top female high school sprinters made their college decisions early in October. Christina Swindle (Gulliver Prep, Fla.), national high school record holder in both the 50 (22.39) and 100 yard free (49.33), will attend Auburn. Cait Conneally (North Canyon HS, Ariz.), who may challenge those marks this year, will become a USC Trojan.

Cover Girl Martina.

Slovakia's Martina Moravcova-a double Olympic silver medalist-graced the cover of the September issue of EMMA Magazine, the Slovakian equivalent of Cosmopolitan. Moravcova, 26, a graduate student at SMU, where she was that college's greatest-- ever female swimmer, lives with her husband in Dallas.

De Varona Drops Suit. Donna de Varona, double gold medalist at the 1964 Olympics, has dropped her $50 million suit against ABC Sports, in which she alleged she had been fired because of her age (54) and gender. Last month, the network' announced it had reached agreement with de Varona, and she will soon rejoin ABC Sports as a commentator and reporter.

Passed Away. Bill Lee, the first president of Speedo America, passed away in September at the age of 81. Beginning in the late 1950s, the charismatic Lee almost single-handedly built Speedo into the swimwear giant the company eventually became.

Harrison Smith Glancy-at 98, the oldest living American Olympic gold medalist in swimming--died of heart failure at his home in New Orleans in September. At the 1924 Paris Olympics, Glancy teamed with Wally O'Connor, Ralph Breyer and the great Johnny Weissmuller to win the 800 meter freestyle relay in a world record 9:53.4.