SWIMMING U.S. LONG COURSE FINALS : Jorgensen Wins 800 After He Skips the 1,500

AUSTIN, Tex. — Dan Jorgensen won the 800-meter freestyle Saturday to close out the U.S. Swimming Long Course Championships, and Julie Cole won the women’s 1,500-meter freestyle.

Jorgensen, the bronze medalist in the 1,500-meter freestyle at the Goodwill Games, turned in a time of 7 minutes 59.97 seconds in the 800. Matt Hooper was second in 8:07.29.

Jorgensen did not swim the 1,500-meter race Friday night and was bumped from the world championships team in the event.

“I chose not to swim the 1,500 Friday,” Jorgensen said, “because I would have had to swim it twice (preliminaries and finals). I didn’t want to do that.”

The men’s 800-meter freestyle is not part of the world championships, to be held in January in Australia, but Jorgensen has qualified for the 400-meter freestyle and the 800-meter relay.

The women’s 1,500-meter freestyle also is not a world championships event. Cole clocked a 16:38.56, 46.46 seconds behind Janet Evans’ world record. Evans did not swim in the event Saturday.