Swimming: Peirsol breaks world record

Steve Virgen

Aaron Peirsol, a Newport Harbor High senior and an Olympic silver

medalist, is the reigning world record holder in the 200-meter backstroke

after his 1:55.15 surpassed Lenny Krayzelburg’s 1:55.87 Wednesday at the

Phillips 66 National Championships in Minneapolis, Minn.

Peirsol’s record-breaking time assuredly sent shock waves throughout

the swimming world, but it was of little surprise for Peirsol.

“I’ve been feeling really good and I thought it was time,” said

Peirsol during a telephone interview. “It was a beautiful swim.

Everything just fell into place.”

Peirsol’s 50-meter splits were 27.75, 28.85, 29.45, 29.10. Peirsol,

who competed in his first event of the meet for the Irvine Novaquatics,

came in ahead of Joshua Davis (2:00.39) and Paulo Machado (2:03.36).

“During the race, everyone was screaming when I kept getting closer on

pace (for the record),” Peirsol, 18, said. “I could hear the crowd. I was

just relieved. I’m excited. I haven’t even warmed down yet. I don’t think

it will sink in for a while. It’s pretty awesome. It’s so sweet.”

Mental strength and confidence made the difference for the

record-breaking time, Peirsol said.

“I’ve been physically ready; I think mentally, it was time,” said

Peirsol, the 2000 Olympic silver medalist in the 200 back. “I felt like I

could do it and accept it. (Mental strength) just came with growing,

getting more confident and understanding what I do more.”

Novaquatics Coach Dave Salo said he and Peirsol targeted the National

Championships as the opportunity to break the world record. And, both

were confident it would happen.

“It’s kind of been stages of acceptance of what he’s capable of

doing,” said Salo, who is also the coach of the Orange Coast College swim

teams. “Posing (the record) as a possibility, making the Olympic team, we

have talked about that. It takes a while from suggestion to actually

making it happen. And everything came together for him this spring. I

think he knew (the record) was coming after his time in the prelims.”

Peirsol touched the wall in 1:57.19 in the preliminary heat Wednesday

morning, and then broke the record later in the day. He celebrated with

his Nova teammates, including his sister, Hayley, a Newport Harbor High

sophomore who finished runner-up in the 800 freestyle.

“She’s doing great, that little ball of fire,” Peirsol said of his

younger sister. “She was more happy than I was. I don’t think it’s sunk

in yet for me.”

The record-breaking time also made good on a promise Peirsol made when

he was 7, when he and his mother, Wella, visited the The U.S. Swimming

Hall of Fame in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

“Just like any young kid would say, he said, ‘Someday I’m going to

break a world record and be in the hall of fame,” said Peirsol’s dad,

Tim, from his home. “We really wish we would’ve been there to see the

excitement. It’s just been tears of joy for us. It’s amazing. I think

about the history of the world and now he’s a world record-breaker.

That’s big stuff.”

The former world record-holder was also thoroughly impressed.

“It’s obviously a very impressive time,” Krayzelburg said. “It puts

him in a class of his own right now. I thought my time was impressive,

but his time is just out there. I have to do a lot of work if I want to

get down to that time.”

Krayzelburg also said he is training minimally and is preparing to

make a comeback from shoulder surgery and sinus surgery. He will compete

this summer in a meet in Europe, in June.

He said he saw Peirsol in November and the two did not discuss the

record.

“We never talk about the race and we never talk about records,”

Krayzelburg said. “We just leave it out there and we talk about other

stuff.”

Krayzelburg was especially impressed with Peirsol’s 50-meter splits.

“His first 100 was about four-tenths slower than I was, but his last

50 was almost a second faster than what I did, and I think that’s where

he beat me. That 29.10 (final 50) is very fast,” Krayzelburg said.

Peirsol will compete in the 100 back Friday, as well as the 800 free

relay Friday and on Saturday will swim the 400 medley relay. He will also

compete in the World Championships in Moscow April 3-7, and then he said

he will resume his role as a member of the Newport Harbor High boys swim

team.

“Definitely. Competing for them (the Sailors) is a goal of mine,”

Peirsol said.