Hayley Peirsol

Steve Virgen There is a certain thought, rather a challenge, that Hayley Peirsol keeps locked away in the back of her mind. Right now is a time to enjoy her senior year, graduation and a carefree life. There's no reason to talk about the 2004 Olympics. The time will soon come when that will be her everyday thought. Peirsol ranks No. 7 in the world in the 800-meter freestyle (8:36.27) in long-course competition. Long course is in a 50-meter pool, as opposed to the short course in 25-meter pools.

Newport Harbor High's Hayley Peirsol, who opened the Janet Evans Invitational by winning the women's 800-meter freestyle Thursday, captured the 1,500 free in a meet record and personal-best 16:27.78 Sunday in the event's final day at McDonald's Swim Stadium at USC. Aaron Peirsol, a June graduate of Newport Harbor, squared off again Sunday against his friendly rival, Lenny Krayzelburg, but this time in the 100-meter backstroke -- the event in which Krayzelburg owns the world record (53.60)

Steve Virgen The women's 800-meter freestyle is considered a wide-open race in the U.S. Olympic swim trials, so naturally, Hayley Peirsol has been using a nothing-to-lose attitude in her approach to her specialty event. Peirsol, a former Newport Harbor High standout, maintained calmness, her reaction after she won her heat and finished fifth in the 800 free preliminaries in 8 minutes, 36.83 seconds Monday at the Charter All-Digital Aquatic Centre.

Steve Virgen Before the U.S. Olympic swim trials began, Hayley Peirsol had always felt a bit more confident with the 800-meter freestyle than the 400 free. As she approached her heat in the women's 400 free preliminaries Thursday, she was hoping to find her comfort zone and advanced to the final. However, that was not the case as she fell behind the pace in her heat. Peirsol, a former Newport Harbor High standout, finished 13th in the 400 free preliminaries in 4:14.

Barry Faulkner Hayley Peirsol may enjoy high school swimming more for what it does not offer than what it does. The Newport Harbor High junior clearly savors the social aspect of competing with her classmates, as well as the opportunity to race in events not considered her forte in the more specialized club swimming environment. But, with only one individual race longer than 200 yards -- the 500 freestyle -- there looms no possibility for what she contemptuously calls "33 laps of pain."

Ever wonder what it takes to raise elite athletes, including one who became a five-time Olympic gold medalist? Wella Hartig, the mother of Aaron and Hayley Peirsol, details her experience of what she describes in one instance as, "a perfect storm," in her new book, "Buoyant: How Water and Willpower Helped Wella to Channel Aaron and Hayley Peirsol. " Hartig wrote the book with Laura Cottam Sajbel. It's available online. Hartig writes about the triumphs, adversity and pressure it took to raise Aaron, the world record holder in the 100- and 200-meter backstroke, and Hayley, a standout distance swimmer who competed for Auburn and later became a triathlete.

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - Hayley Peirsol, a standout swimmer for Newport Harbor High, finished runner-up in the first event -- 800-meter freestyle -- of the Phillips 66 National Championships in Minneapolis, Minn Tuesday. Peirsol, swimming for Irvine Novaquatics, touched the wall in 8:34.94, just behind the winner, Diana Munz (8:33.06). Her brother, Aaron, will swim today in one of the four events of the day. Aaron Peirsol, an Olympic silver medalist, is the favorite in the 200 backstroke today, and he will also swim in the 100 back Friday.

Newport Harbor High swimming standouts Aaron Peirsol, Hayley Peirsol and Ryan Lean helped the Irvine Novaquatics win the team competition at the Southern California Swimming Senior "Q" Meet last weekend. Aaron Peirsol, the silver medalist at the 2000 Sydney Olympics in the 200-meter backstroke, came away with victories in the 200-yard butterfly (1:48.98) and 500 freestyle (4:22.86). He also established SCS age group records for the 17-18 division in the 100 back (48.53)

Ever wonder what it takes to raise elite athletes, including one who became a five-time Olympic gold medalist? Wella Hartig, the mother of Aaron and Hayley Peirsol, details her experience of what she describes in one instance as, "a perfect storm," in her new book, "Buoyant: How Water and Willpower Helped Wella to Channel Aaron and Hayley Peirsol. " Hartig wrote the book with Laura Cottam Sajbel. It's available online. Hartig writes about the triumphs, adversity and pressure it took to raise Aaron, the world record holder in the 100- and 200-meter backstroke, and Hayley, a standout distance swimmer who competed for Auburn and later became a triathlete.

Water is a symbol for cleansing, for renewal. In Hayley Peirsol’s life, she knows this much is true. Somehow, even after a burnout from swimming, water remains prevalent for Peirsol. She has a new dream that involves the 2012 Olympics in London. In the literal sense, it’s not just about getting wet for the Newport Harbor High product. Distance running, cycling, pushing her body to the limit also factor in now, as Peirsol competes in triathlon. This is her life now, to be the ultimate athlete.

MELBOURNE, Australia — Aaron Peirsol, a Newport Harbor High product, continued his dominance at the World Championships, qualifying first in the 200-meter backstroke in 1 minute, 57.79 seconds. Peirsol will take the top seed into Friday night's (early Friday morning Pacific Standard Time) finals. Peirsol, who holds the world records in the 100 and 200 back, will be seeking his ninth individual gold medal at the Worlds. He shattered his world record in the 100 back, finishing in 52.98 seconds on Tuesday.

Aaron Peirsol scoffs at the notion he is different than his younger sister, Hayley. "We're the same," he said Saturday in a phone interview from Australia. "We are more alike than different." After the week is through, the siblings hope to be wearing the same type of medal around their respective necks. It's gold and that's what they're striving for at the FINA World Championships in Melbourne, Australia. They'll start competing on the same day, Monday, Aaron in the 100-meter backstroke, Hayley in the 1,500 freestyle.

MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. — Auburn University senior Hayley Peirsol, a Newport Harbor High product, successfully defended her NCAA title in the 1,650-yard freestyle on Saturday at the NCAA Women's Swimming and Diving Championships at the University of Minnesota. Peirsol's time of 15 minutes, 45.92 seconds was over 10 seconds faster than her seed time, and easily beat out second-place Auburn teammate Adrienne Binder (15:53.44). Her time was nearly four seconds faster than her 2006 NCAA championship time of 15:49.

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Auburn University senior Hayley Peirsol, a Newport Harbor High product, finished fourth in the finals of the 500 freestyle at the NCAA Women's Swimming and Diving Championships at the University of Minnesota Thursday. Peirsol swam the race in four minutes, 41.97 seconds. She finished a spot ahead of her fifth-place preliminary time earlier in the day Thursday. Tigers teammate Adrienne Binder won the race in 4:36.96. Peirsol is an All-American and the defending NCAA champion in the women's 1,600 freestyle.

IRVINE — The decision was easy for Hayley Peirsol. With the preliminaries for the 800-meter freestyle today, the former Newport Harbor High swimming star decided to scratch herself from Thursday's finals in the 400 individual medley at the U.S. Swimming National Championships in the William Woollett, Jr. Aquatic Center at Irvine High. She said she was not feeling well after the preliminaries for the 400 individual medley, which took place at 10 a.m. "It's great to have a day off," Peirsol said.

Tonight, for the first time in the five-day U.S. Swimming National Championships, both Hayley and Aaron Peirsol are likely to compete in finals at Irvine High, beginning at 5:30. Hayley Peirsol, a former standout at Newport Harbor High, will compete in the 800-meter freestyle final after qualifying third with a time of 8 minutes, 35.64 seconds on Friday. Kate Ziegler had the top qualifying time (8:25.31), followed by Adrienn Binder (8:35.50). The top eight in the preliminaries of each event move on to the championship final.

IRVINE -- To thousands wedged into the stands at the USA Swimming National Championships on Saturday, it may have appeared that the men's 200-meter backstroke final went, surprisingly, down to the wire. But according to three-time Olympic gold medalist Aaron Peirsol, who held off strong challenges by Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte to win his 11th national title in his hometown, the race at Irvine High was over before it started. Peirsol, a Newport Harbor High product and the reigning world and Olympic champion in both the 200 and 100 backstroke events, said his success was assured just moments before, when younger sister Hayley Peirsol won the women's 800 freestyle final.