Ziegler Through A 1500m Timewarp: 15:42 WR
2007-06-18
Craig Lord
After 19 years on the books, Janet Evans' 15:52.10 is no more. It fell - and how - to coach Ray Benecki's charge in 15:42.54 at Mission Viejo

And then there was just the one record left to the great Janet Evans. After 19 years on the books, her 15:52.10 is no more. It fell - and how - to Kate Ziegler, coached at The Fish by Ray Benecki, in 15:42.54 at the Meet of Champions in Mission Viejo, California.

Ziegler swam through something of a time-warp on her way to breaking what was the longest surviving swimming record on the books, having been set by Evans on March 26, 1988, at Orlando, Florida: the new standard-setter was faster than the individual four-lap effort of Gould at 200; faster than Thumer at 400m; faster than Wickham at 800m and all but Laure Manaudou over 30 laps on the 2006 world rankings. Stunning stuff. Queen of Gaul - you have been warned.

Ziegler, whose rise you can read about on The Fish website, is now quicker than Mike Burton and a few strokes shy of Stephen Holland's first world record before he went on to chart new waters.

A world champion over 800 and 1,500m (15:53.42) in March who spoke of the strength she gains from her Catholic faith, had threated a strong swim in clocking meet records of 1:58.80 and 4:05.44 over 200 and 400m already at Mission Viejo.

The new record holder raced inside the pace of the former one from the gun, Evans having turned at 400m in 4:11.70 and 800m in 8:26.52. Here are the splits:

29.23; 1:00.49 (31.26)
1:32.09 (31.60); 2:03.46 (31.37)
2:35.17 (31.71) ; 3:06.74 (31.57)
3:38.34 (31.60) ; 4:09.87 (31.53)
4:41.41 (31.54) ; 5:13.01 (31.60)
5:44.80 (31.79) ; 6:16.48 (31.68)
6:48.07 (31.59) ; 7:19.63 (31.56)
7:51.06 (31.43) ; 8:22.57 (31.51)
8:53.91 (31.34); 9:25.42 (31.51)
9:57.07 (31.65) ; 10:28.74 (31.67)
11:00.19 (31.45) ; 11:31.70 (31.51)
12:03.42 (31.72) ; 12:35.17 (31.75)
13:06.55 (31.38) ;13:38.54 (31.99)
14:10.13 (31.59) ; 14:41.85 (31.72)
15:13.27 (31.42) ; 15:42.54 (29.27)

Ziegler, 18, met Evans for the first time relatively recently and described her as "super nice ... a hero of mine". Her own talent, says the Catholic schoolgirl, comes from "God, who gave me the gift of swimming". Before each swim she recites All things through Christ who gives me strength (Philippians 4:13), and continues to do so throughout races.

"When races get hard, I'm like 'come on God ...'. It plays a huge role. Over 30 laps (1,500m) I do say that quote quite often. It gets me through the pain," Zeigler told SwimNews at the world championships back in March. "I can can clearly remember one practice: it was brutal, a really long set, it was hurting terribly. I kept saying it and said some Hail Marys. Maybe God was or wasn't taking the pain away. But it took my mind off it."