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U.S. Open includes special meeting
Posted: Wednesday December 15, 1999 11:44 AM
Jenny Thompson made headlines at the 1999 Pan Pacific Championships when she broke the 18-year-old world record in the 100-meter butterfly. A world record-holder in four events, Thompson has won five Olympic gold medals and is tied with Bonnie Blair for most Olympic gold medals by an American woman. The 26-year-old is now training for the 2000 Olympic Games. Check out Thompson's diary every month on CNNSI.com.
December 11, 1999
Hi everyone! Thanks for tuning in for another Jenny Thompson journal! Well, I'm having kind of a lazy Saturday afternoon here in Colorado Springs. I'm training at the Olympic Training Center with my team, Stanford Swimming. I've been here for a week already, and we'll be staying until the 23rd. It's kind of a bummer not to be home during the holiday season, but I'll live (I guess). We stay in the dorms here, and let me tell you, they are VERY modest! The rest of the facilities here are amazing, though. The pool is state of the art and the food (all you can eat) is great. My favorite part is the unlimited cappucino drinks. The two meets that I swam in earlier this month (the World Cup in Maryland and the U.S. Open in San Antonio) went very well. At the World Cup I won all five of my events (50, 100 freestyle; 50, 100 butterfly; 100 Individual Medley) and I broke the world record in the 50 butterfly, although I just found out that someone from Sweden broke it the other day. At the U.S. Open, I won the 100 butterfly and 100 freestyle in times that were good for me at this point in the season. My 100 fly was the fourth fastest 100 fly in history. I also placed 2nd to my own teammate Dara Torres in the 50 freestyle, and placed 3rd in the 200 individual medley with a best time in that event. A real highlight for me at the U.S. Open was meeting Mary Plant, formerly known as Mary T. Meagher. She held the 100 fly world record before I broke it this past August, and she has always been an idol of mine and an icon in U.S. Swimming. She still holds the record in the 200 butterfly -- the oldest world record in the books! She presented me with a gift in front of the whole swim meet and it was a very special moment for me. Both meets were a lot of fun because several of my foreign swimming friends were there. I don't get to see them very often, so it's always exciting when I do. I'll be seeing a lot of my Australian friends in the next month, for I'll be travelling down under for three weeks to train and compete in a couple of World Cup meets. I'm really looking forward to the first part of the trip because I will be in Sydney for the New Year! I have a feeling it will be completely amazing. Can't wait! Well, I hope you have a wonderful holiday season and New Year. And behave yourself on New Year's Eve ... don't do anything I wouldn't do!
-- Jenny
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