Peirsol sets record in 200 back

Aaron Peirsol continued his strong performance at the 2003 World

Championships in Barcelona, Spain, recording the second-fastest time

ever in the 200-meter backstroke semifinals Thursday to qualify as

the No. 1 seed in the event.

Peirsol will attempt to break his own world record in the event

and win his second gold medal, and third medal overall, today in the

finals of the 200-meter backstroke.

Already armed with a gold medal in the 100 back and a silver as

part of the U.S. 800-meter freestyle relay team, Peirsol swam a

1:55.82 in the semifinals of the 200 back, setting a meet record,

which he also held previously.

Peirsol broke the record, which he set in July of 2001 with a time

of 1:57.13, by more than a full second. The world record, which

Peirsol set in March of 2002, is 1:55.15.

His semifinal time was more than two seconds faster than his

closest competitor, Russia’s Arkady Vyatchanin (1:57.88).

Peirsol, a 2002 Newport Harbor High graduate, twice set the meet

record in the 100 back on his way to the gold medal. He will also

swim in the 50 back, with the heats and semifinals scheduled for

Saturday and the finals set for Sunday.