Look Out World! Jenny Thompson’s Back

By Phillip Whitten

MONTREAL, July 5. JENNY'S back!! And she is definitely a player!

A month ago, SwimInfo broke the news that Jenny Thompson — America's most decorated female Olympic athlete — was training with her old coach Mike Parratto at Seacoast Swim Club in New Hampshire, and considering a comeback. When we interviewed her, a laid-back JT told us she was "just having fun."

Well, Jenny's "fun" is likely to be a major headache for her competition — both in the US and abroad. After a year of medical school and less than two weeks of "fun" training, Jenny, 29, clocked 59.94 in wsinning the women's 100m butterfly at the Quebec Cup, being held at Olympic Park in Montreal, site of the 1976 Olympica Games. Audrey LaCroix was second in a strong 1:01.59.

The performance boosts Jenny into position to challenge for a spot on the USA's Pan Pacific Championships team, which will be selected at the USA Swimming National Championships in Fort Lauderdale in five weeks.

In other women's highlights from the first day of competition in Montreal,Rhiaannon Leier swam to victory in the 100m breast in an outstanding 1:09.66;
Sophie Simard won the 200m free in 2:02.38; and Jennifer Fratesi took the 200 m back in 2:13.05, winning by almost seven seconds.

On the men's side, Michel Boulianne won the 100 breast in 1:04.59; Yannick Lupien took the 200 free in 1:52.30

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