Former UCSB swimming star and U.S. Olympic hero Jason Lezak won the 100-meter freestyle at the TYR Fran Crippen Memorial Swim Meet in Mission Viejo on Friday.
Lezak, who anchored the gold medal-winning and world record-setting 400 free relay in dramatic fashion at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, blew away the field in the 100 with a time of 49.71, nearly two seconds faster than the next best swimmer.
The time was the fourth fastest of the year by an American.
“I was just trying to learn a little bit from my last two races and try and be a little more controlled in the first 50 (meters) and try and bring it home in the back 50,” Lezak told OC Varsity.
Lezak, 35, swimming for Rose Bowl Aquatics, is using this event as preparation for the FINA World Championships in Shanghai, China next month.
“This lets me know a few little things I can get better at,” Lezak said.
