Swimming in the Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta was "just another swim meet" for freshman Trina Jackson.

The highly motivated 19-year-old swam in the 4x200-meter freestyle relay, setting an American world record with her teammates and winning a gold medal for the United States.

"It was extremely overwhelming," Jackson said. "I didn't swim the first day, and I had to get used to 14,000 people watching me."

Jackson said once she got used to the crowd, things were easier.

According to Swimming World Magazine, where Jackson appeared on the front cover in August of 1995, Jackson was a three-time gold medalist in the Pan American games in Argentina in 1995. She was also named as the female swimmer of the year by the National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association (NISCA).

Jackson said her Olympic experience was great and that the world may see her again at the 2000 Games in Sydney, Australia.

"I would do it again," she said. "The whole team spent a lot of time bonding with each other."

Aside from competing in the 4x200m relay, Jackson also swam in the 200m freestyle, where she finished fourth, and the 200m butterfly, where she placed eighth. Although Jackson would have liked to get an individual medal, she said it would have been more f un if she had won any medal.

"It was a win-win situation for me to get a medal," Jackson said. "The Olympics are sometimes overrated and hyped up by the media. You just have to think of it as just another meet. They just publicize it more, but it's really just another meet."

The UA freshman said it was fun meeting the other athletes.

"We had great team spirit," Jackson said. "Everybody learned to respect one another. With 20 girls on the team, and seven to a suite in Olympic village, we had to adjust to living with other girls."

Since Jackson said she had never lived with anyone before, she continued to tell of the tough adjustment she had in learning to live with so many people.

"It was hard because I had to swim on the last day," she said. "Everybody else was already done with their races."

Being a new freshman to the UA, combined with swimming, studying and the adjustment of being away from home, Jackson will learn to juggle many different things.

"I hope to swim the freestyle and the butterfly here," Jackson said, "But (UA swim coach Frank Busch) and I haven't talked about it yet."

Busch said Jackson can bring experience to the UA swim team.

"It's a different game here, a new game," Busch said. "It will take some time for her to adjust to the college life. As a freshman, there will be some moments when it gets tough."

Busch also said having Olympians on the team can help with recruiting.

"It can't hurt," he said. "Her influence will help us. It is definitely a positive thing. We are fortunate to have good publicity."

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