IRVINE, Calif. – Erica Sullivan and seven others dove into the pool at the sound of the starter's beep. They began churning through 16 laps of the 800-meter freestyle, signaling the return of major swimming competition in the U.S.
for the first time since mid-March.“I haven’t legitimately raced since January, so just having a taste of it again feels really good,” said Sullivan, a U.S.
national team member competing in three freestyle distance events in the U.S. Open in Irvine.The three-day meet runs through Saturday at nine sites across the country.
Results from timed finals in each city are combined to determine winners of each event.“This is the first step in the right direction,” said Jon Urbanchek, the 84-year-old former Michigan coach.