Peirsol sets meet record

Aaron Peirsol got off to a fast start at the 2003 World Swimming

Championships Monday in Barcelona, Spain setting a meet record in the

semifinals of the 100 meter backstroke to earn the top time going

into today’s finals.

The first of three backstroke events in which Peirsol will swim,

the 100 meter backstroke final takes place in the evening session of

today’s competition.

His semifinal time of 54.28 is a new World Championships record

and puts him at the top of the field heading into the final after

earning the No. 3 seed going into the semifinals.

Swimming in the 11th of 12 heats, Peirsol recorded a time of

54.99, good enough to finish first in his heat, but third overall,

behind Australia’s Matthew Welsh and Russia’s Arkady Vyatchanin.

A 2002 Newport Harbor High grad and 2000 silver medalist in the

Sydney Olympics, Peirsol turns 20 on Wednesday. A repeat of his

semifinal performance should earn him a World Championship prior to

his birthday.

Last year at the World Championships, Peirsol won a silver medal

in the 100 meter backstroke, while setting a world record and winning

a gold medal in the 200 meter backstroke and as part of the 400 meter

medley relay team. He won his first World Championship gold medal in

2001 in the 200 meter backstroke.

The heats and semifinals for this year’s 200 meter backstroke are

on Thursday, with the finals scheduled for Friday. Peirsol will also

compete in the 50 meter backstroke, with the heats and semifinals

scheduled for Saturday and the finals coming on the last day of

competition at the World Championships on Sunday.

Peirsol’s younger sister, Hayley, a 2003 Newport Harbor graduate,

will also be competing this week. She is entered in the 800 meter

freestyle. The heats are scheduled for Friday and the finals for

Saturday.