BEIJING OLYMPICS:

BEIJING — Aaron Peirsol captured his fifth career gold medal, helped lowered a world record and became a part of history this morning in Beijing, China.

The former Newport Harbor High standout swam the backstroke leg in the 400-medley relay that gave phenom Michael Phelps his Olympic-record eighth gold medal. The Americans won in a world-record time of 3 minutes, 29.34 seconds, lowering the old mark of 3:30.68 set four years ago in Athens.

Peirsol was a part of that team, too, when he won his third gold medal at the 2004 Olympics. He grabbed gold in the 100-meter backstroke and the 200 back, as well. He earned the silver medal in the 200 back at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia.

At the Beijing Olympics, Peirsol broke his own world record to win the gold in the 100 back, but he settled for silver in the 200 back, finishing behind fellow American Ryan Lochte, who lowered the world record he had shared with the 25-year-old former Sailor.

There has been talk that this could be Perisol’s final Olympics. If it is, he went out with his fifth gold medal, swimming the opening leg. His backstroke went for 53.16 seconds. Brendan Hansen followed with his 59.27 breaststroke split. Phelps’ butterfly split went for 50.15 and Jason Lezak finished the relay with 46.76 in the freestyle.

— From staff reports