For the Record, Peirsol Wins 200M Backstroke

INDIANAPOLIS, July 11 -- The message from Aaron Peirsol: Stop taking my world records. For the second time this week at the U.S. swimming championships, Peirsol reclaimed a world record he had recently lost.

Saturday night, it happened in the 200-meter backstroke as Peirsol exploded over the last 100 meters to outswim Ryan Lochte and break his world record by a staggering 0.86 of a second.

Peirsol finished in 1 minute 53.08 seconds, as Lochte touched the wall in 1:54.21 and Tyler Clary in 1:54.53. North Baltimore Aquatic Club's Nick Thoman got fourth in 1:54.83.

"I'm extremely elated," Peirsol said.

Earlier this week, he took back the world record in the 100 backstroke, a mark he lost just over a week ago when a Spanish swimmer lowered it. Peirsol said his excitement about the victories was dampened knowing Japanese star Ryosuke Irie of Japan had swum faster in the 200 back in a similar high-tech suit (Irie's record was disallowed because the suit was not approved).

"I feel like, if I do the race I can, he can't catch me," said Peirsol, who wore Arena's X-Glide pants.

Jones Claims Berth

Earlier, 2008 Olympic relay team members Garrett Weber-Gale and Cullen Jones faced off in a two-man swim-off to decide the second-place finisher in Thursday's 50 free. The pair had tied in that race.

Jones not only claimed a world championship berth with the victory, but he also broke Weber-Gale's American record (21.47), touching the wall in 21.41 seconds; Weber-Gale came home in 21.70.

Jones said he switched high-tech suits, dumping the more acclaimed Jaked01, which he wore in Thursday's 50 free final, for the older Speedo LZR.

Morris Places Second

In the men's 1,500 freestyle, North Baltimore Aquatic Club's Brennan Morris, 17, qualified for his first world championship team with his second-place finish in 15:13.47. Morris, the boyfriend of Katie Hoff, finished behind Jackson Wilcox, who touched the wall in 15:11.98.

In a time trial at the end of the night, Dara Torres, 42, lowered her American record in the 50 fly but missed the world record. She finished in 25.50.

Local Splashes

Arlington Aquatic Club's Katherine Radloff, 20, finished third in the C final of the women's 100 free in 3:56.08; in the C final of the 200 back, Andrew Relihan, 19, of the Rockville-Montgomery Swim Club finished seventh in 2:05.18; Daniel Johnson, 21, of the University of Virginia was disqualified. North Baltimore Aquatic Club's Austin Surhoff, 18, finished fourth in the B final in 2:01.19. In the C final of the 200 breast, Virginia's John Azar finished eighth in 2:21.59.