Lindsay Benko is one of those athletes whose competitive endeavors should be recorded exclusively on black-and-white Panavision film. She swims and conducts herself like someone from another era. Benko is patriotic, optimistic and undaunted by adversity.

In mid-July, at the World Swimming Championships in Japan, Benko, 24, leaped into a warm-up pool, struck a kneecap on a ledge and collapsed in agony. Thousands of miles away from home, the kneecap was broken and her season was over. Or so it seemed.

“I was more ready to swim at the World Championships than I was at the (2000) Olympics,” says Benko, who captured an Olympic gold medal in the 800 freestyle at Sydney.

On Monday at the Goodwill Games, five weeks removed from the freak accident, Benko was standing on the pool deck in Brisbane, Australia, captain of the American women’s team and the owner of a Goodwill gold medal (and a $3,000 first prize) earned last weekend in the 200 freestyle.

Her eyes were moist with emotion. Monday was not a great day for the young, largely developmental American women’s team. In a showdown with Australia for the Goodwill Games team gold medal, Team USA fell behind 26-8 after four events and gradually lost ground the rest of the way. (In relays, winning teams score seven points, the second- place team scores zero; in individual events, first is worth five, second is worth three and third is worth one point).

“This has been an extremely emotional time for me,” said Benko, after Australia’s 89-60 victory which relegated the U.S. team to silver medal status against its prime rival. “But I consider being here a blessing. It was wonderful to end the season this way.”

U.S. coach Dick Shoulberg knew he was coming to the Games with a young team in a field that included a strong European All-Star team, a so-called World All-Star team and the Aussies.

“I needed (Benko’s) leadership here,” Shouldberg said. “We wanted to get into the gold medal round, and we did.”

Benko also was the winner of an individual silver medal in the 200 backstroke. This, despite a tender kneecap that she says “hurts constantly”, from the moment she awakens in the morning.

“I’ve pushed back my recovery time,” the Elkhart, Indiana, native says. “But it is definitely worth it. I’ve really had a picture perfect career as far as injuries, until now. Unfortunately, it had to happen at the world championships. But it has definitely made me a better person. I’ve learned a lot about myself.”

Says Shoulberg: “She is one of my heroes. She is a great captain, a great team swimmer, a great competitor and a great lady.”

DOWN UNDER, AGAIN: American pole vaulter and reigning Olympic and world champion Stacy Dragila has returned to the land where she became a gold medallist last year during the Sydney Games.

Dragila acknowledges she has not achieved the stardom of her rival Tatiana Grigorieva, the native Russian who won a silver medal in Sydney competing for her adopted Australian homeland.

“I’m not as successful as Tatiana,” said Dragila, awaiting Wednesday’s Goodwill Games pole vault showdown. “She is fortunate to be in a country as small as Australia. In the U.S., (track champions) are overshadowed by the NFL, the NBA, you name it.”

But Dragila is clear on her mission here. “Hopefully, I can go do what I do and come home with a little bag of money.”

Individual golds in Goodwill Games track are worth $20,000, while world records pay $100,000, 2001 world bests earn $7,500, and a national record delivers a prize of $5,000.