Peirsol opens today

Steve Virgen

Aaron Peirsol is known for his success in the 200-meter backstroke,

but he plans to become famous in the 100 back, as well, when he

competes in the preliminaries today during the morning session that

starts at 9 a.m. in the U.S. Olympic swim trials at the Charter All

Digital Aquatic Centre in Long Beach.

Peirsol, a former Newport Harbor High star swimmer and 200 back

world-record holder, is the top seed for the 100 back and he is No. 1

in the world. He enters today’s event with a seeded time of 53.61.

The world record, held by Lenny Krayzelburg, is 53.60.

Krayzelburg, the 2000 Olympics gold medalist in the 100 and 200

back, is the No. 2 seed in today’s 100 back with a time of 54.00.

Peirsol said he wants to win gold medals in the 100 and 200 back in Athens next month, but he is concentrating on the task at hand. He

was in a training pool near the Long Beach venue Wednesday working

out while swimmers competed in the arena.

He said he was prepared for the Olympic trials. Being ranked No. 1

in the 100 and 200 back for the trials has motivated him.

“There’s no pressure on me,” Peirsol said. “I feel like I should

do it. I don’t really focus on the pressure of being No. 1. Anything

can happen. Anyone can have a bad met. I feel like I’m pretty

comfortable. Honestly, I don’t feel any pressure about making the

team. But first things first is to make the team.”

Peirsol has the top-seeded time for the 200 back, 1:55.15 (the

world record), set for Sunday’s morning session. The final will be

during Monday’s evening session that starts at 5 p.m. Swim phenom

Michael Phelps is the No. 2 seed with a time of 1:55.30.

Phelps is attempting to match Mark Spitz’s feat of winning seven

gold medals, but has not decided if he will take on Peirsol and the

200 back. Peirsol has said he is training for the race just as hard,

not as concerned with Phelps, but Peirsol will be extremely motivated

if Phelps chooses to enter the event.

Peirsol has been concentrating on the Olympics and achieving

greatness since he was 6 and his mother, Wella, took him to the U.S.

Swimming Hall of Fame in Florida. It was there, Peirsol asked his

mother what it took to become a world-record breaking swimmer. Wella

Peirsol said her son vowed to fulfill his dreams of being in the U.S.

Swimming Hall of Fame as a world-record holder.

At age 12, Aaron Peirsol was quoted in the Daily Pilot after

breaking the national 11-12 age-group record in the 100 back

(1:03.60) and expressed his views of being in the Olympics.

“I’m getting used [to breaking records],” the young Peirsol said.

“It’s definitely something I want to keep doing. It’s another step to

my Olympic dream.”