Feature by Shoshanna Rutemiller
PHOENIX, Arizona, June 6. IS 2012 destined to be the year of the comeback? With Janet Evans, 40, qualifying for the 2012 Olympic Trials at the Austin Grand Prix in January, the swimming community yet again witnessed an old school and experienced Olympian coming out of retirement for another shot at glory.
Evans, considered by most to be the greatest female distance swimmer ever, held some of the longest-standing world records. In 1987, at age 15, she broke world records in the 400m, 800m and 1500m freestyle events. These records all lasted nearly 20 years.
During her career, she collected four Olympic gold medals, three at the 1988 Seoul Olympics and one at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
In honor of her goal to once again make an Olympic team, Swimming World takes a look back at its archives; highlighting the many times Swimming World featured Evans.
Evans has graced the cover of Swimming World Magazine a remarkable six times, just three behind the record of nine held by Michael Phelps and Mark Spitz.
January 1987
September 1987
May 1988
March 1989
October 1989
February 1996
Apart from her cover appearances, SwimmingWorld.TV featured Evans several times after her initial retirement after the 1996 Olympics.
Swimming World CEO Brent Rutemiller interviewed Evans at the 2007 U.S. Long Course Nationals, years before she began training for her 2012 comeback:
Evans phoned in to the Morning Swim Show, June 26, 2008. At this time, Evans still held the world record in the 800 free. She reminisced about passing the Olympic Torch to Muhammad Ali in the 1996 Olympics:
Morning Swim Show host Peter Busch interviewed Evans, Feb 2, 2012 after she qualified for the 2012 Trials during Austin Grand Prix: