Flash! Aaron Peirsol Lowers the World Record in the 200 meter Backstroke  -- March 27, 2004

By Phillip Whitten

EAST MEADOW, New York, March 27. Aaron Peirsol shattered his own world record in the short course 200 meter backstroke tonight at the NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships in East Meadow, New York.

Peirsol clocked 1:50.64, more than half a second under his own former global standard of 1:51.17set in 2002.

Peirsol's trailed world record pace through 150 meters, but challenged by Stanford's Markus Rogan, he uncorked a 27.90-second final 50 metres to reset the record.

Peirsol's splits:
26.52 - 54.72 - 1:22.74 - 1:50.64