The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Peirsol wins Olympic gold in 100m backstroke
08.17.2004 | Men's Swimming and Diving
ATHENS, Greece -- Former Longhorn and 11-time All-American Aaron Peirsol (2003-04) won the men's 100m backstroke in a time of 54.06 to captured the first Olympic gold medal of his career on Monday, August 16 at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games.
Peirsol, the 2003 NCAA Swimmer of the Year and six-time NCAA Champion, will try to replace fellow American Lenny Krayzelburg's Olympic achievement by winning the 100m and 200m backstrokes and the 400m medley relay. Peirsol captured silver in 2000 by finishing second to Krayzelburg in the 200m backstroke in Sydney, but this time Krayzelburg will be chasing him. At the U.S. Olympic Trials, Peirsol and Krayzelburg finished 1-2 in the 100m back before Peirsol won the 200m back in 1 minutes, 54.74 seconds, slicing .41 of a second off his own world record.
Monday's gold-medal race was especially close as 57-hundredths of a second separated the top seven swimmers in the field of the men's 100m back. Austria's Markus Rogan took the silver with a time of 54.35 while Tomomi Morita of Japan took bronze in 54.36. Defending Olympic gold medalist Lenny Krayzelburg finished fourth in 54.38.
Considered to be his feature event, Peirsol will swim the prelims and semis of the 200m backstroke on Wednesday, August 18. The finals of the 200m backstroke will be swam on the Thursday, August 19.
