World Short Course Champs: Flash! Piersol Cracks World Record in 200 Backstroke

INDIANAPOLIS, IN, October 11. AARON Peirsol (USA) won the 200 backstroke tonight in a world record time of 1:50.52. This crown goes along with his win and meet record earlier in the 100 backstroke.

Tonight, he broke his own world mark by .12, surpassing his swim for Texas from the spring NCAA meet.

All the “I love you Michael” signs and t-shirts expected for Michael Phelps in the stands have been replace by graphic pleas of “Marry me, Aaron” since Phelps withdrew from the meet. This performance will do nothing to reduce the devotion of his new adolescent female fans. He is THE MAN in backstroke.

Peirsol took the race by the throat right off the bat and not only led this field throughout but also was ahead of his own record splits throughout:

Old New
:26.52 :26.07
:54.72 :54.07
1:22.74 1:22.30
1:50.64 1:50.52

Peirsol inspired the field as well. This was clearly one of the better men’s events here, with the performances pretty well in line with the Athens field. Matthew Welsh (AUS) won silver at 1:52.54. Arkady Vyatchanin (RUS) had 1:54.20 for bronze.

America’s Bryce Hunt was fifth at 1:54.79.

— P. Whitten / D. Scott

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