Janet Evans
800 m freestyle world record that lasted 19 years
Overview
Evans won the 400 m and 800 m freestyle at Seoul 1988 and defended the 800 m at Barcelona 1992, using an unconventional straight arm windmill stroke at barely 1.63 m tall. Her 8:16.22 for 800 m from 1989 survived until 2008, and her 400 m record lasted about 18 years. Her four career golds made her the face of American distance swimming before Ledecky.
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