Evans, Janet

▪ American athlete

born August 28, 1971, Placentia, California, U.S.

 

 American swimmer, known for her exceptional speed, who won four Olympic gold medals.

      In 1987, at age 15, Evans won four gold medals at the U.S. national championships and set three world records. At the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea, she won gold medals in the 400-metre individual medley, the 400-metre freestyle (setting a world record), and the 800-metre freestyle (setting an Olympic record). After the 1988 Games she continued to set world records, winning seven national championships in 1989. Competing for Stanford University in 1990 and 1991, Evans continued to dominate American swimming, winning the 500- and 1,650-yard freestyle events at the collegiate championships both years. At the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain, she won a gold medal in the 800-metre freestyle and a silver medal in the 400-metre freestyle. Her participation in the 1996 Games in Atlanta, Georgia, was her third consecutive Olympics—a rare feat in swimming.

      Evans, a natural athlete who swam in her first competition at age four, was renowned for her agility and dedication to the sport. Despite her small stature, she was the first woman to break the 16-minute barrier for the 1,500-metre freestyle and achieved times in some races that were as fast as those of men who won the same event. She was awarded the Sullivan Award in 1989 as the outstanding American amateur athlete.

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