Alone at the top

Valrico's Brooke Bennett repeats her golden 800 freestyle performance in dominant fashion, leaving the field well behind.

[Times photo: Michael Rondou]
No challenger is close to Brooke Bennett as she nears the end of the 800-meter freestyle final.

By JOHN ROMANO

SYDNEY, Australia -- The race began ahead of schedule. Way ahead of schedule, if you want to know the truth. Away from the crowds, away from the cameras, away even from the swimming pool.

The race began the moment Brooke Bennett decided it belonged to her. Now, that could have been when she woke up Friday and felt it right down to her bones. Or perhaps it was after she won gold in the 400-meter freestyle Sunday. Or just maybe it was after she finished second to upstart teenager Diana Munz a couple of times during the summer of 1998.

No matter the exact moment, Bennett let her coach, Peter Banks, in on the secret before the official start of the 800-meter freestyle.

"Before she went to the race, she said to me, "This is going to be a special swim.' She knew it herself," Banks said. "I've never heard her say anything like that. My last conversation with her, I told her to go enjoy it and have a good swim. That's when she said, "This is going to be special.'

"I didn't need to tell her any more. She was in control at that stage."

Bennett will remain in control until further notice. Not only did she beat the field, she beat every field in Olympic history.

The Valrico resident won the gold medal with an Olympic record time of 8 minutes, 19.67 seconds, beating the standard of 8:20.20 set by Janet Evans in 1988. She also joined Evans as the only swimmers to repeat as Olympic champions in the 800 free and is one of three swimmers to go below 8:20.

"I remember watching Janet Evans compete in the '88 Olympic Games. At that time, I was 8 and thought, "Gosh, that would be so amazing to do that.' Now I'm here, I've been to two Olympic Games, won three gold medals, set an Olympic record," Bennett said. "Years ago, I would never have said I'd be sitting here saying things like that. It is so overwhelming."

Unlike Monday, when she reacted to her surprising gold medal swim in the 400 with a torrent of tears, Bennett remained largely composed Friday. Apparently, it is easier to cope with a gold medal and an Olympic record when you know they await you before you jump into the pool.

"I just knew it was coming," Bennett said. "I could feel it."

At 20, Bennett does not appear to be slowing. She seems to be speeding up. Her gold medal-winning time in the 400 on Monday was the best of her career. Ditto for the 800. Her time in the 800 was a full eight seconds faster than when she won the gold in Atlanta in 1996.

The world records Evans set in the 400 and 800 as a teenager in the 1980s have gone unchallenged for more than a decade, but they now appear within Bennett's reach. She is 1.95 seconds off Evans' record in the 400 and is within 3.45 seconds of the 800 record.

Bennett all but announced she will return in 2004 for the Athens Olympics and attempt to defend both titles.

"I'm not going to leave any time soon. I could definitely see myself in four years at the Olympic Games. But I'll take it year by year," Bennett said. "I'm two seconds away in the 400 and three seconds in the 800. I think both are right there within my reach. That's going to be my motivation."

She needs to provide her own motivation because the rest of the world is not doing it for her. Bennett took the lead on the first lap Friday and never gave it up. She was winning by a full second after 250 meters and eventually finished 2.99 seconds ahead of silver medal winner Yana Klochkova of the Ukraine. Kaitlin Sandeno, a 17-year-old from Lake Forest, Calif., took the bronze.

As they sat at a table awaiting the start of a news conference afater the race, Bennett turned her attention to Sandeno.

"I am so proud of you," Bennett said.

And with that, the transition was complete.

Four years ago, Bennett was the teenager. She was the new kid sending Evans into retirement. Now, when these Games close, she could be America's most decorated female swimmer still in the pool. Jenny Thompson will be gone. Surely Amy van Dyken and Dara Torres will be, too.

Bennett will remain, and if recent history is an indicator, she will get better. Evans peaked with her '88 performances, and the following two Olympics were part of her gradual descent into retirement. Bennett continues to get better with age because she continues to work harder than the rest.

"She's matured and become a young woman instead of a little girl," Banks said. "I wouldn't put Brooke as the most talented athlete I've ever coached, but she is the hardest worker."

The proof is in the gold she wears around her neck. Bennett is the only American female to win two individual gold medals at these Games.

She has gone Down Under and managed to come out on top of the world.

Golden rulers

With one set of swimming finals to go, the United States has won 29 of the 85 medals, including 12 golds. Australia is next with 14 overall, four golds. The United States' champions:

BROOKE BENNETT: 400 freestyle; 800 free.

TOM DOLAN: 400 individual medley.

ANTHONY ERVIN: 50 freestyle.

GARY HALL: 50 freestyle.

MISTY HYMAN: 200 butterfly.

LENNY KRAYZELBURG: 100 backstroke; 200 backstroke.

TOM MALCHOW: 200 butterfly.

MEGAN QUANN: 100 breaststroke.

WOMEN'S RELAYS: 400 freestyle; 800 free.