Peirsol cruises to title

Defending world and Olympic champion Aaron Peirsol, a Newport Harbor

High product, led all the way and claimed his second straight

100-meter backstroke title in the swimming world championships

Tuesday in Montreal.

Peirsol finished in 53.62 seconds, shy of the world record (53.17)

he set in April. Fellow American Randall Bal finished second in

54.02.

With the victory, Peirsol, 22, became the first man since Roland

Matthes of East Germany in 1973 and 1975 to win consecutive 100 back

titles at the world championships. Peirsol won the event in 2003 at

Barcelona, Spain.

Peirsol, winner of three gold medals at last summer’s Olympics in

Athens, Greece, including the 200 back and 400 medley relay, will vie

for a third successive win in the 200 back in the world championships

later this week.

Preliminaries and semifinals of the 200 back are slated for

Thursday followed by Friday’s final. Semifinals and final of the 400

medley relay are Sunday.