Peirsol Cuts to the Chase to Top Krayzelburg

Aaron Peirsol has chased Lenny Krayzelburg for more than a year. He has chased him down the stretch in the 200-meter backstroke, always in vain.

That changed Friday.

Peirsol, 16, finally caught, then passed the 24-year-old Krayzelburg--the world record-holder in the 200 backstroke--at the Janet Evans Invitational at USC. Peirsol charged in the last 50 meters to win with a time of 1 minute 59.01 seconds. Krayzelburg was second in 1:59.34.

It was the first time in more than two years that Krayzelburg has lost in the 200 backstroke. Peirsol’s victory even overshadowed Jenny Thompson, who set an American record in the 100 freestyle (54.27).

“I’d almost forgotten what it was like to finish first,” said Peirsol, who will be a junior at Newport Harbor High this fall. “I have a lot of respect for Lenny. Every time I race him, I learn something.”

This time he learned to win, although this was far from Krayzelburg’s usual performance. He seemed to fade at the finish and was nearly four seconds off his world-record time.

This was the third time the two have raced this summer. They will almost certainly meet again at the Olympic trials, Aug. 9-16 in Indianapolis.

“Obviously, I’m disappointed,” Krayzelburg said. “I tired the last 40 meters. No matter how much I wanted to, I couldn’t do anything. I tightened. I’ve been training harder than I ever have in my life.

“That’s not to take anything away from Aaron. He is definitely a contender for the gold. He showed that at the [U.S. championships] when he swam a 1:57. Anyone who is 16 and swims that fast is a major contender. He is my main competition in the world right now.”

It was a one-sided competition until Friday. Peirsol did win the 200 backstroke at the U.S championships in March, but Krayzelburg skipped that meet.

Peirsol seemed headed for runner-up status again through 150 meters Friday. He closed fast, touched, then squinted into the setting sun to look at the board for his time and place.

“I was surprised,” Peirsol said. “I was dying. My body was telling me I was dying. I had to tell it to ignore that and keep going. I’m sure Lenny didn’t swim the race he wanted to swim. I mean, we all know he can go faster than 1:59.”

Peirsol knows it firsthand.

“It’s great to get to race against him so much,” Peirsol said. “We both live in Southern California. If he lived on the other side of the world, I’d only see him in the Olympics.”

Thompson and Dara Torres, who are also well-acquainted, battled it out in the 100 freestyle.

Torres, 33, set the meet record with a time of 54.95 in the morning prelims. Thompson, 26, then topped her in the final, rallying in the last 100 meters. Both swim for the Stanford Club.

Thompson broke her own American record of 54.48, set in 1992.

“I had a dream last night that I would swim a 54.6,” Thompson said. “I’m happy that was a little off.”

The United States’ Tom Malchow and Costa Rica’s Claudia Poll set meet records.

Malchow, who won the silver medal in the 200 butterfly at the 1996 Olympics, broke his meet record in the event with a time of 1:55.84. He was .66 seconds off the world record he set in May.

Poll broke Janet Evans’ meet record in the 400 freestyle with a time of 4:09.04.