Unheralded Kowal Gives U.S. First 100-Meter Breast Crown

World Swimming Championships

Seizing the spotlight from the scandalized Chinese swim team, Kristy Kowal and Tom Dolan won gold medals for the United States on Tuesday at the world championships.

Kowal, an 19-year-old from Athens, Ga., came from behind to become the first American woman to win the 100-meter breaststroke at a world championships.

“No one knew who I was when I came here and I used that to my advantage tonight,” Kowal said. “I’m feeling sheer and utter joy.”

Dolan, the reigning world and Olympic champion, defended his 400-meter individual medley title, becoming only the fourth American to win consecutive world titles.

“This was a pride race for me,” said the 22-year-old from Arlington, Va.

Kowal finished in 1 minute, 8.42 seconds, beating a field that included defending champion Samantha Riley of Australia, Olympic champion Penny Heyns of South Africa and Hungarian star Agnes Kovacs.

Helen Denman of Australia was second in 1:08.51 and Lauren Van Oosten of Canada was third in 1:08.66.

Kowal failed to make the 1996 Atlanta Olympics after finishing third at the U.S. trials.

“This is the absolute highlight of my life,” Kowal said. “It is a personal best, it is a gold medal, it is everything.”

Kowal, a second-year education student at Georgia, first started swimming as a youngster to join her friends.

“It was just for fun,” she said. “I started swimming in summer league because I thought the prizes the kids got at the end of the year were pretty cool and I wanted some too. They were ‘gag’ gifts, fake watches, towels with teams names on them.”

Dolan joined Tom Jager, Matt Biondi and Janet Evans as the only Americans to win consecutive titles. He led the field in 4:14.95, a performance that left him with such pain in his legs he wondered if he pulled a groin muscle.

“Some people doubted me after I was fourth in the world rankings last year,” he said. “This has set me up as the world’s best all-round swimmer and I’m not ready to give that title up.”

Dolan, who has severe asthma, held off Marcel Wouda of the Netherlands in the final lap.

“I wasn’t going to let anyone pass me,” Dolan said. “Once I’m ahead, no one’s going to beat me. I really had to dig deep inside.”

Olympic champion Claudia Poll of Costa Rica won the other final Tuesday, easily taking the women’s 200-meter freestyle.