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Backstroke Beauty Pageant: Irie, Peirsol, Lochte

Jul 30, 2009  - Craig Lord

Ryosuke Irie (JPN) led Americans Aaron Peirsol and Ryanh Lochte through to the semis of the 200m backstroke, all three men below 1:56. The 1:57.79 in which Peirsol went through fastest in Melbourne 2007 would have made him the only qualifier in Rome. The top three through in Rome were all fast enough to have won a medal in Melbourne - and two of them, Lochte and Peirsol, did indeed win a medal in 2007, and as they try to do so again, one thing is certain: they'll be faster, along with any others who make it into the final via semis tonight.

The race at the helm is like a beauty contest of aesthetic, technically teutonic backstroke, with Peirsol and Irie having the edge over Lochte on smoothness, perhaps.

Rome 2009: 

  • Top 16 through: 1:55.20 - 1:57.97
  • Inside 1:56: 3
  • Inside 1:57: 8
  • Inside 1:58: 16
  • Inside 1:59: 21
  • Inside 2:00: 25

Melbourne 2007:

  • Top 16 through: 1:57.79 - 2:01.21
  • Inside 1:56: 0
  • Inside 1:57: 0
  • Inside 1:58: 2
  • Inside 1:59: 3
  • Inside 2:00: 9