Peirsol on schedule in medal quest

Newport Harbor High standout Aaron Peirsol advanced to the semifinals

of the 200-meter backstroke event Tuesday at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney,

Australia.

The 17-year-old posted a time of 1 minute, 59.10 seconds in winning

his preliminary heat. Peirsol’s mark was second only to that of fellow

American Lenny Krayzelburg, who set a new Olympic record in his

qualifying heat with a time of 1:58.40. Krayzelburg won gold Monday in

the 100 backstroke and is an overwhelming favorite in the 200. Peirsol is

expected to provide his toughest challenge in the finals.

“We bring out the best in each other,” Krayzelburg, speaking of

Peirsol, told the Associated Press.

Australians Cameron Delaney (1:59.61) and Matthew Welsh (1:59.76)

finished behind Peirsol and Krayzelburg in the preliminaries. They pose

the biggest threat to the Americans’ one-two punch.

In women’s tennis, Palisades Tennis Club member Lindsay Davenport

defeated Paola Suarez of Argentina, 6-2, 6-2, in the first round of the

64-player Olympic draw.

Davenport, the No. 1 seed at the Olympics, joined fellow American

Venus Williams, who had already won, 6-2, 6-2, against Henrieta Nagyova

of Slovakia.

The 24-year-old Davenport will resume competition Thursday in her

quest to repeat as Olympic gold medalist.

* For more coverage on Newport-Mesa’s Olympians, see Sports on Page 7.