On This Day In History - Pace-Setters Peirsol & Jones Make Their Mark
Timeline - The SOS Daily Trawl of official World long-course records (plus all pre 1954 standards, all pools and metrics) set this day throughout history.
Timeline: World records set on this day in history...
Back in 2002, Aaron Peirsol, an American on the rise who had taken Olympic silver aged 17 at Sydney 2000, broke the first of his seven World records in the 200m backstroke with a 1:55.15 at US Spring National Championships in Minneapolis. The time took down the 1:55.87 at which the 2000 Olympic champion ahead of Peirsol, teammate Lenny Krayzelburg, had left the global mark at Pan Pacs in Sydney on August 27, 1999.
By the time Peirsol was done, he had a textile best of 1:54.44, the world record between 2006 and 2007. Then came shiny suits and, at 2008 Olympic trials, Peirsol equalled U.S. teammate Ryan Lochte's 1:54.32 from his world-title win at Melbourne 2007. Then, after Lochte had taken the standard back for Olympic gold in 1:53.94 at Beijing 2008, just ahead of him, Peirsol rose again, with global marks of 1:53.08 and, in full polyurethane at Rome 2009, at 1:51.92, the time that remains the World record to this day.
Craig Lord
Back in 2006, Leisel Jones, of Australia, set the third and last of her three 100m breaststroke World records with a big leap from her 1:05.71 in February the same year at Nationals down to a thudding 1:05.09 for Commonwealth gold in Melbourne.
Craig Lord
