Aaron Peirsol

Aaron Wells Peirsol (born July 23, 1983) is a former American swimmer who specialized in the backstroke. He is a three-time Olympian and seven-time Olympic medalist (five gold, two silver). As part of the American team, he holds the world record in the 4×100-meter medley relay (long course). Individually, he currently holds the world record in the 100 and 200-meter backstroke (long course). In February 2011, Peirsol announced his retirement, saying, "I ended up doing everything I set out to do."

Peirsol's success have earned him the American Swimmer of the Year Award once. He has won a total of thirty-six medals in major international competition, twenty-nine gold, six silver, and one bronze spanning the Olympics, the World, Pan American, and the Pan Pacific Championships.

In his Olympic debut at the 2000 Summer Olympics, at the age of seventeen, Peirsol won a silver medal in the 200-meter backstroke. Four years later, at the 2004 Summer Olympics, Peirsol won gold in the 100 and 200-meter backstroke (sweeping the backstroke events) and the 4×100-meter medley relay. In his third Olympics (2008 Summer Olympics), Peirsol won gold in the 100-meter backstroke and the 4×100-meter medley relay. He came short of his success he had in Athens by winning silver in the 200-meter backstroke, finishing behind Ryan Lochte.

Personal life

Peirsol was born in Irvine, California in 1983, the son of Tim and Wella Peirsol. His father is a mortgage broker and his mother is a...
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