Aaron Peirsol

Aaron Wells Peirsol (born July 23, 1983) is an American former competition swimmer and backstroke specialist who is a former world champion and world record-holder. He is a three-time Olympian and seven-time Olympic medalist (five gold, two silver). Individually, he currently holds the world record in the 200-meter backstroke event (long course). In February 2011, Peirsol announced his retirement, saying, "I ended up doing everything I set out to do."

Peirsol swam for the University of Texas in the Big 12 Conference under Hall of Fame Coach Eddie Reese and Associate Coach Kris Kubik. At University of Texas at Austin, he graduated in 2006, majoring in Political Science, and was the 2003 NCAA Swimmer of the Year.

Peirsol's successes 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 17, Peirsol won a silver medal in the 200-meter backstroke. Four years later, at the 2004 Summer Olympics, Peirsol won gold in the 100-meter 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.