Lezak wins 100 freestyle

LOS ANGELES – Jason Lezak won the men’s 100-meter freestyle with the fastest time by an American this year and Natalie Coughlin took the women’s 100 on Friday night in the Janet Evans Invitational.

Lezak, the American record holder and 2004 Olympian, won in 49.04 seconds – the fourth-fastest time in the world this year. Roland Schoeman of South Africa was second in 49.87.

“When I pushed off the wall, I knew it was going to be a fast swim because I can usually tell how much speed I have, and I was able to pull it to the wall,” Lezak said.

Coughlin, who won five medals in the 2004 Athens Games, led from the start and won in 54.28. Lacey Nymeyer was second in 56.13.

Adrienne Binder won the women’s 400 in 4:13.75, a day after she captured the 800 free.

Australian Jo Fargus won the 200 backstroke in 2:13.67; Hongzhe Sun took the men’s race in 2:00.53; Tamas Kerekjarto of Hungary won the 200 butterfly in 2:00.15; and Kim Vandenberg took the women’s 200 fly in 2:12.18.