University Southern California Trojans
Peirsol Downs Krayzelburg In 200M Back At JEI
July 14, 2000 | Women's Swimming & Diving
July 14, 2000
LOS ANGELES - Sixteen-year old Aaron Peirsol (Irvine, Calif.) won the 200-meter backstroke, upsetting the world record holder in the event, Lenny Krayzelburg, to highlight the second day of the seventh annual Janet Evans Invitational on Friday (July 14) at the USC McDonald's Swim Stadium in the meet hosted by USC and presented by Speedo. All events are longcourse.
Peirsol, who swims for Irvine Novaquatics, passed Krayzelburg in the final 25 meters and won the event in 1:59.01. Krayzelburg finished second in 1:59.34.
"I forgot what it's like to be first," Peirsol said. "It's been a while, especially against Lenny. I don't think he swam the way he wanted to. It's just a boost for me more than anything."
Said Krayzelburg, a USC graduate who also owns the world record in the 100-meter back (LC): "I tightened up at the end of the race. He passed me and I had nothing left. I have no excuses. I should have swam a faster race. I'm a little bit disappointed, but it's important to put it behind you and focus on the weeks ahead."
While the backstroke was the most surprising race, others were equally as impressive.
Jenny Thompson held off U.S. rivals Dara Torres and Amy Van Dyken to win the 100-meter freestyle in an American record time of 54.27. Torres took second in 54.47 and Van Dyken was third in 55.76.
Brazil's Gustavo Borges won the men's 100-meter free shortly after, taking the event in a meet record time of 50.00, tying the mark of Australia's Michael Klim set in 1997. Bart Kizierowski (Mission Viejo Nadadores) took second in 50.02.
Stanford's Misty Hyman won the women's 200-meter butterfly in 2:09.68 and Tom Malchow (Wolverine), the world record holder in the men's 200-meter fly, won the event in 1:55.84, a meet record and less then a second off of his world mark (1:55.18).
American B.J. Bedford, who owns seven U.S. national titles, won the women's 200-meter back in 2:14.28 while Costa Rican Olympic veteran Claudia Poll won the women's 400-meter free in a meet record time of 4:09.04. Klete Keller, a 1999 Pan Pacific 5K gold medalist, won the men's 400-meter free in 3:53.28.
The meet continues Saturday and Sunday with prelims beginning at 9 a.m. and finals starting at 5 p.m. both days.
The order of events for the remaining days are as follows:
Saturday: 200m freestyle, 200m breaststroke, 50m freestyle, 400m individual medley, 800m freestyle relay
Sunday: 100m butterfly, 100m backstroke, 100m breaststroke, 200m individual medley, 400m medley relay
