Record Is All in a Day’s Work for Peirsol

Aaron Peirsol returned to the pool in Minneapolis on Thursday, a day after setting a world record in the 200-meter backstroke, and immediately became aware that others took a special interest in his presence.

“Just walking on deck,” Peirsol said by phone, “I could tell the officials understood that I had a good swim the night before.”

Back at Newport Harbor High, where Peirsol is a senior, his accomplishment at the Phillips 66 Spring National was the talk of the Thursday morning workout.

“I think it’s just amazing,” said junior Brent Armstrong, a teammate. “He can swim so fast and he’s so modest about it.”

Peirsol’s coach at the Irvine Novaquatics swim club, Dave Salo, was probably most affected by the record-setting performance. Peirsol’s time of 1 minute 55.15 seconds surpassed Lenny Krayzelburg’s previous world record by .72. It was a goal Salo and Peirsol first discussed five years ago.

“Obviously, these things don’t happen very often in a coach’s career,” Salo said from Minneapolis. “You’d be lucky to get one world-record holder in your lifetime.”

At home in Irvine, Aaron’s feat only slightly overshadowed those of his younger sister, Hayley, who produced two second-place finishes with personal-best marks in the meet’s first three days.

“The phone hasn’t stopped ringing,” stepfather Tim Hartig said.

Likewise for Aaron. In between calls from family and interviews with the media, high-fives from fellow swimmers and autographs for fans, he produced a lifetime best time of 1:51.11 in the 200 freestyle on Thursday, finishing sixth.

He came back to win the 100 backstroke in 54.47 and swam the third leg for the Irvine Novaquatics’ winning 800 freestyle relay team (7:44.42) on Friday. He’ll make one last trip to the pool deck today, when he will swim the backstroke leg of the 400 medley relay. Peirsol expects the hoopla to subside by the time he returns Sunday afternoon.

“It was such a big thing but it should calm down,” he said. “When it does, then I’ll take the time to congratulate myself.”

Peirsol, who was runner-up to gold-medalist Krayzelburg in the 200 backstroke at the 2000 Sydney Games, won’t have much time before he leaves for the World Championships, which will be held April 3-7 in Moscow.

Newport Harbor Coach Jason Lynch hopes Peirsol will be on hand Wednesday when the Sailors host Irvine, the two-time defending Southern Section Division I champions, in a key Sea View League meet.

Hayley Peirsol, a junior at Newport Harbor, opened the Spring Nationals with a second-place finish Tuesday in the 800-meter freestyle. Peirsol’s time of 8:34.94 was eight seconds faster than her previous best.

On Thursday, she finished second in the 400 individual medley in 4:50.30, nearly five seconds faster than her previous best. Andrienne Binder, a junior at Santa Barbara San Marcos High, won in 4:44.65.

Irvine High sophomore Diana MacManus won the women’s 200 backstroke in 2:11.80 on Wednesday and the 100 backstroke in 1:01.32 on Friday. Tustin senior Michael Cavic won the 100 butterfly in 53.30 on Friday.

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Dan Arritt