Peirsol up for top male swimmer; fans can vote

Five-time Olympic gold medalist Aaron Peirsol, a former Newport Harbor High standout, has been nominated as Male Swimmer of the Year by USA Swimming for its 2008 Golden Goggle awards.

It is his fifth straight nomination in the award category. In 2005, he won the award.

Fans can vote for who they think should win by visiting https://swimfoundation.org and clicking on the Golden Goggles link at the top of the page. The awards ceremony will be Nov. 17 at the New York Hilton.

Peirsol has also been nominated in two other categories. He won the 100-meter backstroke, breaking a world record and is up for Male Race of the Year. He was also part of the 4x100 medley relay that won gold and is up for Relay Performance of the Year.

For the past eight years Peirsol has been nearly unbeatable, and at the Beijing Olympics, his third time at the Games, he won two gold and one silver, giving seven career Olympic medals.

— From staff reports