I have been fortunate enough to cover...

I have been fortunate enough to cover the local athletes competing in

the U.S. Olympic Trials for swimming this week in Long Beach, so

when Aaron Peirsol was competing in the finals of the 100-meter

backstroke competition, I already had my location picked out.

Before the race began, I was planning on shooting Peirsol’s

take-off, to try and get something different of him. As the race

started, and Peirsol exploded from the wall, I was able to capture

the moment when his hands were breaking the surface of the water, his

face looking in my direction at the opposite end of the pool, and the

splash of water spraying from both sides of his body as well as

straight into the air. He looked determined to win the event, and he

did. It’s going to be fun watching him compete in Athens this summer.

-- Mark C. Dustin