The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Walters, Peirsol take gold, new world record in 400m medley relay at FINA World Championships
08.02.2009 | Men's Swimming and Diving
Aug. 2, 2009
ROME -- University of Texas rising senior Dave Walters collected his second gold medal of the meet as he teamed up with Texas-Ex Aaron Peirsol, Longhorn Aquatics' Eric Shanteau and Michael Phelps to smash the world record in the 400-meter medley relay Sunday at the 2009 FINA World Championships.
Walters (Yorktown, Va.), who won gold and helped set a new world record earlier in the meet with Texas teammate Ricky Berens in the 800m freestyle relay, anchored the USA's 400m medley relay in 46.80 seconds, as the relay finished in 3 minutes, 27.28 seconds.
Peirsol led off in 52.19 on the backstroke before giving way to Shanteau, who split 58.57 on the breaststroke. Phelps split a lightning-fast 49.72 on the butterfly before Walters put away the victory in the freestyle. The finish easily topped the USA's world record of 3:29.34 set by Peirsol, Texas-Ex Brendan Hansen, Phelps and Jason Lezak at the Beijing Olympics.
