Janet Evans facts for kids
Evans in 2014
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| Born | August 28, 1971 Fullerton, California, U.S. |
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| Height | 5 ft 5 in | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 119 lb | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse(s) | Bill Willson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Sport | Swimming | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Strokes | Freestyle, individual medley | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Fullerton Aquatics Golden West Swim Club Trojan SC |
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| College team | Stanford University | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coach | Bud McAllister (FAST) Richard Quick (Stanford) Mark Schubert (Texas AC)(Trojan SC) |
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Medal record
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Janet Beth Evans (born August 28, 1971) is a famous American swimmer. She was known for her amazing endurance in long-distance freestyle races. Janet won four gold medals at the 1988 Summer Olympics and 1992 Summer Olympics. She also set many world records.
Janet was the first woman to hold three world records at the same time in the 400, 800, and 1500-meter freestyle events. She was also the first American woman to win four individual Olympic gold medals in swimming.
Contents
Janet Evans' Swimming Career
Early Years in Swimming
Janet Evans was born in Fullerton, California. She grew up in a nearby town called Placentia. Janet started swimming in competitions when she was only 5 years old. By age 11, she was already breaking national records for her age group in long-distance swimming.
She trained with the Fullerton Aquatics Sports Team (FAST Swimming). Her coach, Bud McAllister, was very important to her success in the mid-1980s.
In 1987, when Janet was 15, she broke world records in the 400-meter, 800-meter, and 1,500-meter freestyle races.
High School and College Swimming
Janet went to El Dorado High School. She swam for her high school team when she wasn't competing for FAST. Her high school coach, Tom Milich, was a top swimming coach.
After high school, Janet went to Stanford University. She swam for the Stanford Cardinal team from 1989 to 1991. At Stanford, she was recognized as the best college female swimmer in 1988–89. She won many college titles in distance events.
Later, Janet moved to the University of Southern California (USC). She graduated from USC in 1994 with a degree in communications. She continued to train with coach Mark Schubert and worked with the USC swim team.
Olympic Games Achievements
1988 Seoul Olympics
At the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, Janet Evans won three gold medals! She won the 400-meter freestyle, the 800-meter freestyle, and the 400-meter Individual Medley. People called her "Miss Perpetual Motion" because of her unique swimming style.
She set a new world record in the 400-meter freestyle at these Olympics. This record lasted for 18 years! Her 1,500-meter freestyle record, set in March 1988, stood until 2007.
Janet's 800-meter freestyle world record (8:16:22), set in August 1989, was one of the longest-standing records in swimming history. It lasted for almost 19 years! This record was not broken until the 2008 Summer Olympics. After her success in 1988, Janet was unbeatable in the 400, 800, and 1500-meter freestyle events for over five years.
1992 Barcelona Olympics
Janet made history again at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. She became the first woman to win back-to-back Olympic and world championship titles in the 800-meter freestyle. She won gold in the 800-meter freestyle, finishing almost 5 seconds ahead of the next swimmer.
In the 400-meter freestyle, she won a silver medal. She led for most of the race but was caught at the very end by a German swimmer.
Janet won the 400-meter and 800-meter freestyle events at the U.S. National Championships 12 times each. This is the most national titles in one event by any American swimmer in the competition's 100-year history!
1996 Atlanta Olympics
Janet's swimming career mostly ended at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. She didn't win any medals this time. However, she had a very special moment. She was chosen to carry the Olympic torch in the opening ceremony. She then handed it to the boxing legend Muhammad Ali, who lit the Olympic cauldron.
During the 1996 Olympics, there was a bomb explosion near where she was being interviewed. This event was very startling for her. In her final Olympic race, she finished sixth in the 800-meter freestyle.
2012 Olympic Trials
In 2011, Janet decided to try for a comeback! She trained for six months to compete at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials. At 40 years old, she competed in the 400-meter and 800-meter freestyle events.
By the end of her swimming career, Janet Evans held seven world records. She also had five Olympic medals, including four gold medals. She won 45 American national titles, which is an amazing achievement!
Other Activities and Honors
In 2010, Janet returned to competitive swimming as a United States Masters swimmer.
In 2016, she was chosen to be a co-Grand Marshal for the 2017 Rose Parade.
Janet also helped with the Los Angeles bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics. Los Angeles was later chosen to host the 2028 Summer Olympics. As of 2020, Janet works as the chief athlete officer for the 2028 Summer Olympics organizing committee. This means she helps make sure the Olympics are great for the athletes.
Swimming Style
Janet Evans was known for her unique "windmill" swimming stroke. She had incredible endurance. She took more strokes per 50 meters than many other distance swimmers. This was partly because of her intense training. She sometimes swam as much as 13,000 meters (about 8 miles) in a single day of workouts! Even though she was small, she often beat bigger and stronger swimmers.
Awards and Recognition
Janet Evans has received many honors for her swimming achievements:
- In 1989, she won the James E. Sullivan Award as the top amateur athlete in the United States.
- Swimming World Magazine named her the Female World Swimmer of the Year in 1987, 1989, and 1990.
- The Los Angeles Times recognized her as a "Rising Star" in 1988.
- She was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 2001.
- In 1995, Janet was inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame.
Personal Life
Janet Evans married Bill Willson in 2004. They have two children together.
See also
In Spanish: Janet Evans para niños
- List of members of the International Swimming Hall of Fame
- List of multiple Olympic gold medalists
- List of Olympic medalists in swimming (women)
- List of World Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming (women)
- World record progression 400 metres freestyle
- World record progression 800 metres freestyle
- World record progression 1500 metres freestyle
