UniversalSports.com Daily Coverage, including webcasts
ROME, Italy, July 30. WORLD record holder Aaron Peirsol topped qualifying from the first semifinal at the men's 200 back at the FINA World Championships. He set up a head-to-head battle with Japan's Ryosuke Irie tomorrow evening.
Peirsol lowered the meet record with a top seeded time of 1:54.06. The performance cleared the 1:54.32 set by Ryan Lochte in 2007. Meanwhile, Irie finished under the former record as well with a second-seeded 1:54.14. Peirsol is looking for redemption after missing the 100 back finale due to a miscalculation.
"It's an eight day meet, so I had some time to gather myself again," Peirsol said about missing the 100 back final. "I've been able to watch my team do well, and that's inspired me. It's been a waiting game. Two days has felt like two weeks. We are having a good time."
Russia's Arkady Vyatchanin (1:54.90) and Stanislav Donets (1:55.25) finished third and fourth, while Lochte qualified fifth in 1:55.39.
Poland's Radoslaw Kawecki (1:55.62), South Africa's George Du Rand (1:55.75) and Spain's Aschwin Wildeboer (1:55.78) completed the championship field.