No Solitude For Swim Hero -- Nesty To Resume Duel With Biondi In Butterfly

One-eighth of an inch.

Since barely out-touching Matt Biondi at the 1988 Olympics in one of the greatest races in swimming history, Anthony Nesty of Suriname has been honored with a postage stamp in his country. The government also imprinted his likeness in the 100-meter butterfly on a gold coin. It is used as currency.

One-eighth of an inch.

That is the gulf between being a popular person and an outright national treasure in Surinam, where Nesty is not only the country's first Olympic medalist but its lone champion. The reward: rarely a moment of solitude.

``The attention's neat to a certain point, but then it gets to be a hassle,'' Nesty said.

A University of Florida junior, Nesty, 23, heads a group of men's and women's swimmers that could set several world marks in the King County Aquatics Center.

Mike Barrowman of the U.S. is a threat to lower his own record in the 200 breaststroke; East German Uwe Dassler will defend his mark in the 400 freestyle against Poland's Artur Wojdat, currently top-ranked in that event; and Heike Freidrich and Kathleen Nord of East Germany could make assaults in 200 free and 100 fly, respectively.

Janet Evans, the 1989 Sullivan Award winner as the nation's top amateur athlete, will swim in the 400 and three other events.

Tom Jager, the first man to swim a metered event in under 22 seconds, will continue his rivalry against Biondi in the 50- and 100-meter free events.

But if the recent Olympic meet serves as any example, no race may pack as much significance and drama as the 100 fly. At Seoul, Nesty edged Biondi by the slimmest of margins, coming from behind against his more-touted opponent to win in an Olympic-record time of 53:00. Biondi, who won five gold medals, finished in 53:01 and took his only silver.

Nesty and Biondi have been following each other at a distance this year, with Nesty winning the 100 fly at the NCAA meet and Biondi taking the same event at the U.S. short-course nationals. Biondi went faster than Nesty, comparatively. But Nesty had the disadvantage of swimming his time in a long-course (50-meter) pool, the same as the Goodwill pool.

Stalemate.

Nesty seems intent on keeping Biondi in his place. His weight is down to about 173 pounds, lighter than he has been at any time since Seoul when he was at 171. His training has been specifically targeted so that his best times can be swam in the last week of July, when the Goodwill competition begins.

And to ensure peak performance on July 22, Nesty made the 100 fly his only Goodwill event, opting out of the 200 fly.

``We feel he has a real good chance at the world record,'' Florida Coach Skip Foster said, referring to the existing mark of 52:84.

Son of a furniture-factory production manager, Nesty developed as a world-class swimmer after he came to the U.S. for training in his junior year of high school. In Suriname, a country of about 365,000 on the northeast coast of South America, the primary language is Dutch; Nesty had trouble on the standardized college test and was a Proposition 48 case at Florida.

Nesty has also entrenched himself as and the top sprint butterflier in the world - if only by the length of an eyelash.

Nesty's primary goal is to repeat as champion in the 100 fly at the '92 Olympics in Barcelona. But if he picks up the world record along the way in his first trip to Seattle, well, more power to the people in Surinam.

AT A GLANCE

Swimming

Venue: King County Aquatics Center (2,500).

Dates: July 20-24.

The format: Between six and eight events each day. Team relays close out each day of competition. Freestyle events are at 50-, 200-, 400-, 800- and 1,500-meter distances, for both men and women. Other individual events are backstroke, butterfly, and breaststroke, all at 100- and 200-meters; and 200- and 400-meter individual medley.

Swimmers to watch: Janet Evans, triple gold medal winner at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, was beaten earlier this month in 200 IM at California meet but still rates as top U.S. woman. Haley Lewis, of Australia, ranks among top five women in world in 400 free, 800 free and 200 fly. East German Manuela Stellmach, entered in 100- and 200-meter free, is among top freestylers. East German Nils Rudolph beat American sprinters Matt Biondi and Tom Jager in 50 free at meet earlier this month.