Bridgewater in Troubled Waters

It appears Brad Bridgewater doesn’t quite have a watertight hold on a U.S. Olympic team spot.

Bridgewater, a 1996 Olympic gold-medal winner, was pushed to the limit Friday by Newport Harbor High sophomore Aaron Peirsol in the 200-meter backstroke at the Swim Meet of Champions in Mission Viejo.

Bridgewater, 26, ranked second in the world, clocked the fastest preliminary time Friday morning with a 2 minute 04.80 second swim at the Marguerite Swim Complex. But Peirsol, 15, ranked fourth in the world, was only 16 one-hundredths of a second behind him.

Lenny Krazelburg, Bridgewater’s teammate on the Trojan Swim Club, is ranked first in the world but is not competing in Mission Viejo.

Bridgewater and Peirsol were neck and neck until the last 50 meters when Peirsol’s turn was not as sharp as Bridgewater’s. That turn was the difference, as Bridgewater finished in 2:01.13. Peirsol finished second in 2:01.98.

As the Olympic trials get closer, it has become apparent that Bridgewater and Peirsol will be strong contenders for a spot on the U.S. Olympic team. Only the top two swimmers in an event qualify for the team and Krazelburg is expected to be the top qualifier in the event.

“In the last couple of years I’ve had a good comfort zone hanging out in the top one and two in the world and not having to worry about anybody else,” Bridgewater said. “With Aaron here, it gives me more of a sense of urgency.”

Peirsol, who said he was more tired and hungry than disappointed with his second-place finish, said he still has time to work on his stroke and correct the mistakes before next year. Anyway, he likes being in the chase mode.

“I would much rather be chasing someone than have someone chasing me,” Peirsol said. “It’s more exciting. I’m very happy with that time, especially since I’ve been working out hard. It’s the fastest time for me this season.”

In other men’s events, Jason Lezak of the Irvine Novaquatics held off Bart Kizierowski of the Mission Viejo Nadadores to win the 100 freestyle in 51.18. Kizierowski, the former Mission Viejo High standout, finished in 51.23.

The Nadadores’ Chad Carvin won his second event, clocking a 3:55.96 in the 400 freestyle. Juan Veloz, Carvin’s teammate, won the 200 butterfly (2:02.06).

Former Olympian Ashyley Tappin of the Novaquatics won the 100 freestyle in 57.81.

Kaitlin Sandeno, a sophomore at El Toro High who swims for Nellie Gail Swim Club, added a 400 freestyle victory to Thursday’s 800 win.

Sandeno won the event in 4:17.07. Sweden’s Asa Sandlund of Mission Viejo was second (4:21.10). While Sandeno’s finish in the 400 free was expected, her second-place finish Friday in the 200 butterfly was not.

Sandeno was defeated by Misty Hyman of Desert Fox. Hyman, who’s the NCAA Division I champion, won in 2:11.20. Sandeno finished in 2:12.61.

“I found out a couple weeks ago at a Simi Valley meet that I’m not that bad in the fly,” Sandeno said. “I hadn’t done the stroke in so long, so when I did it two weeks ago and was only a second off the Olympic trial time, I said, ‘Wow.’ ”