The University of Texas announced Monday that Aaron Peirsol will be inducted into their Men’s Athletics Hall of Honor in October. Peirsol was an NCAA champion for the Longhorns in both the 100 and 200-yard back in 2003 and 2004, and he then left after his sophomore season to turn professional.
Internationally, Peirsol is widely recognized as one of the greatest backstrokers of all time. He won gold in the 100 back at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics and won a medal in the 200 back at three straight Games (silver in 2000, gold in 2004 and silver in 2008), as well as medley relay gold in 2004 and 2008. He won ten gold medals at the World Championships in his career.
Peirsol still holds the world record in the men’s 200 back with a 1:51.92 from the 2009 World Championships, and his record-time of 51.94 in the 100 back survived until Ryan Murphy posted a 51.85 at the Olympic Games in Rio earlier this month.
Other inductees into Texas’ Men’s Athletics Hall of Honor include current San Antonio Spurs power forward LaMarcus Aldridge and two-time Super Bowl winning cornerback Aaron Ross.
The inductees into the Women’s Hall of Honor include swimmer Andrea Hayes, who competed for the Longhorns from 1986 until 1990. She was a member of the U.S. Olympic Team in 1988, and she finished sixth in the 200 back in Seoul.
Read more about the honorees here.