INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Three-time Olympian Aaron Peirsol (Irvine, Calif.) reclaimed his 100m backstroke world record, and became the first man to swim under 52 seconds when he stopped the clock at 51.94 before a sell-out crowd at the 2009 ConocoPhillips USA Swimming National Championships Wednesday night. With the swim, Peirsol punched his ticket to Rome as part of the U.S. World Championship Team.
“It was a beautiful race,” Peirsol said. “I knew I could do something special tonight. I’m a little speechless. I’ve said it before. Anyone can win a gold medal or set a world record at any time. There’s something to be said for consistency.”
Also medaling in the 100m backstroke was Olympic silver medalist Matt Grevers (Lake Forest, Ill.), who out-touched Nick Thoman (Cincinnati, Ohio) by just .01 seconds to earn silver in 53.11. Thoman took bronze.
Three-time Olympian Michael Phelps (Baltimore, Md.) opened his program claiming two titles, winning both the 200m freestyle and 200m butterfly. Phelps picked up his first medal and qualified for the World Championship Team in the 200m free with a time of 1:44.23, and returned three races later to take his second win and qualify in the 200m fly in 1:52.76.
In a special exhibition race of the 50m breaststroke, two-time Olympian Mark Gangloff (Akron, Ohio) erased the American record in a time of 27.34.
In the 200m free, 2008 Olympian David Walters (Yorktown, Va.) challenged Phelps the whole race, swimming on his shoulder for a final time of 1:44.95. 2008 Olympic teammate Ricky Berens (Charlotte, N.C.) posted the third-fastest time (1:45.66), and Ryan Lochte (Daytona Beach, Fla.) was fourth in 1:45.73. The top four finishers earned a spot on the World Championship Team.
In the 200m fly, Tyler Clary (Riverside, Calif.) posed a threat the entire race. Clary hammered home the final lap to secure the silver in 1:53.64. Clary’s Michigan teammate Daniel Madwed (Stamford, Conn.) was third in 1:56.13.
Dana Vollmer (Granbury, Texas), who qualified for the 2004 Olympic team in the women’s 200m free, cemented her spot in Rome with the top time of 1:56.20. Olympian Allison Schmitt (Canton, Mich.) touched in next with a time of 1:57.25, followed by Ariana Kukors (Auburn, Wash.) in 1:58.28. The women, along with Alyssa Anderson (Granite Bay, Calif.), who finished fourth in the event with a time of 1:58.45, all earned spots at World Championships.
Hayley McGregory (Houston, Texas), who missed qualifying for both the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games with third-place finishes in the 100m backstroke, qualified for Worlds in the top spot of the event with a time of 1:00.07. Elizabeth Pelton (Baltimore, Md.) continued her medal-winning streak when she clocked in second at 1:00.66. Two-time Olympian Margaret Hoelzer (Huntsville, Ala.) rounded out the top three in 1:00.78.
For complete qualifying procedures, click here. For a complete up-to-date list on the current qualifiers for the U.S. World Championships team, click here.
Competition continues tomorrow with the men’s and women’s 50m freestyle as well as the women’s 100m breast and 400m IM, as well as the men’s 100m fly. Prelims will begin at 9 a.m. ET, and finals will begin at 6 p.m. ET. To view live footage of Nationals, visit www.swimnetwork.com. For complete results and highlights, click here.