Michael Phelps

Newport Harbor High product Aaron Peirsol is among the nominees for the 2007 Golden Goggle Awards, an event celebrating the accomplishments of top American swimmers. Peirsol is nominated for 2007 Male Athlete of the Year, where he will be up against fellow world record-holders Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte. All three set individual world records this summer at the FINA World Championships. Peirsol won the 100-meter backstroke at the world championships in Australia in March, lowering his own world-record time to finish in 52.98 seconds.

Newport Harbor High graduate Aaron Peirsol captured his second medal at the 2003 World Championships in Barcelona, Spain on Wednesday, picking up a silver medal with a second-place finish as part of the 800-meter freestyle relay team. Peirsol, who won a gold medal in the 100-meter backstroke Tuesday, swam the third leg of the relay for the U.S. Though his time was the slowest among the four American swimmers, the U.S. held the lead through the first three legs of the race.

Aaron Peirsol won his second gold medal Friday when he swam the 200-meter backstroke final in 1.55.92 at the 2003 World Championships in Barcelona, Spain. The Newport Harbor High graduate, who will enter his sophomore year at Texas in the fall, raced to a 1.55.82 during the semifinals of the event Thursday and entered Friday's meet as the top seed. Croatia's Gordon Kozulj finished second in 1:57.47. Peirsol's time Friday is the fourth-fastest in history.

MELBOURNE, Australia — Aaron Peirsol's reign in the 200-meter backstroke is over. At least for now. The Newport Harbor High product, who had not lost in the 200 back since the 2000 Olympics, finished second to Ryan Lochte, who broke Peirsol's world record, finishing in one minute, 54.32 seconds at the FINA World Championships. Peirsol's former record was 1:54.44. Peirsol, the world and Olympic champion, was under his own world-record pace through 150 meters, but Lochte passed him over the last 50 meters.

BEIJING — Aaron Peirsol captured his fifth career gold medal, helped lowered a world record and became a part of history this morning in Beijing, China. The former Newport Harbor High standout swam the backstroke leg in the 400-medley relay that gave phenom Michael Phelps his Olympic-record eighth gold medal. The Americans won in a world-record time of 3 minutes, 29.34 seconds, lowering the old mark of 3:30.68 set four years ago in Athens. Peirsol was a part of that team, too, when he won his third gold medal at the 2004 Olympics.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The 100-meter backstroke still belongs to Aaron Peirsol. The former Newport Harbor High swim star showed just that to Michael Phelps, who did not win in a championship race for the first time in a year. That was because of Peirsol, who won the 100 back at the Charlotte UltraSwim Saturday. Peirsol, the world-record holder and two-time Olympic gold medalist in the 100 back, edged Phelps with a strong finish, touching the wall at 53.32 seconds. Phelps, in his first meet since winning a record eight gold medals at the Beijing Olympics, finished second in 53.79.

It turned out to be quite the golden summer for two Newport Harbor High products. Beach volleyball player Misty May and swimmer Aaron Peirsol return from Greece as gold medalists. May, with partner Kerri Walsh, captured the gold with a flawless run at the rowdy beach volleyball venue. The duo finished 7-0, didn't lose a set on the hot Grecian sand and earned the United States' first gold medal since women's beach volleyball became an Olympic sport in 1996.

It’s all my fault. Last week, after I failed to mention some of the other Newport-Mesa Olympians who will shake their booties really hard in Beijing over the next two weeks, I received letters, calls, e-mails and a small package wrapped in brown paper I’m pretty sure was ticking before I plunged it into a sink full of water. We are of course desperately proud of all our local Olympians, and any oversight was clearly unintentional and the direct result of ignorance and mild dementia, and those are my good points.

Sarah Furgatch’s mother just wanted her to learn how to swim, for her safety. Eden Furgatch saw her daughter do more than swim. “When I was 3 or 4, I would just go have lessons blowing bubbles in the water,” Sarah said with a laugh. Since then, Furgatch has blown more than bubbles, more like the competition away. Furgatch continues to thrive, now with the Corona del Mar High girls’ swimming team. Last week against Back Bay rival Newport Harbor, she placed first in three events, helping the Sea Kings win, 87-83.

Steve Virgen Aaron Peirsol is known for his success in the 200-meter backstroke, but he plans to become famous in the 100 back, as well, when he competes in the preliminaries today during the morning session that starts at 9 a.m. in the U.S. Olympic swim trials at the Charter All Digital Aquatic Centre in Long Beach. Peirsol, a former Newport Harbor High star swimmer and 200 back world-record holder, is the top seed for the 100 back and he is No. 1 in the world.

Last week I experienced a rather surreal moment while reporting at the USA Swimming National Championships. I saw Aaron Peirsol for the first time since 2004, all grown up. Yes it was bizarre that he ended the meet without a gold medal, but it was also a bit strange to see him again. He's now 27. I first met him when he was 17. I wouldn't say we have a friendship, but it is a friendly working relationship. It was great to catch up with him. But this column isn't really about my encounter with Peirsol, who starred at Newport Harbor High.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The 100-meter backstroke still belongs to Aaron Peirsol. The former Newport Harbor High swim star showed just that to Michael Phelps, who did not win in a championship race for the first time in a year. That was because of Peirsol, who won the 100 back at the Charlotte UltraSwim Saturday. Peirsol, the world-record holder and two-time Olympic gold medalist in the 100 back, edged Phelps with a strong finish, touching the wall at 53.32 seconds. Phelps, in his first meet since winning a record eight gold medals at the Beijing Olympics, finished second in 53.79.

Sarah Furgatch’s mother just wanted her to learn how to swim, for her safety. Eden Furgatch saw her daughter do more than swim. “When I was 3 or 4, I would just go have lessons blowing bubbles in the water,” Sarah said with a laugh. Since then, Furgatch has blown more than bubbles, more like the competition away. Furgatch continues to thrive, now with the Corona del Mar High girls’ swimming team. Last week against Back Bay rival Newport Harbor, she placed first in three events, helping the Sea Kings win, 87-83.

The Newport-Irvine Rotary Club announced the selection of Jacqueline Anne Seiglie as an Ambassadorial Scholar for the academic year of 2009 through 2010. Seiglie is only one of three college students selected to study abroad by Rotary District 5320, which covers Orange County and parts of Los Angeles County. Seiglie is a 2008 UCI graduate who majored in neurobiology. She plans to work on a master’s in public health/community health in Spain. Her ultimate goal is the study of medicine with a focus on diabetes.

BEIJING — Aaron Peirsol captured his fifth career gold medal, helped lowered a world record and became a part of history this morning in Beijing, China. The former Newport Harbor High standout swam the backstroke leg in the 400-medley relay that gave phenom Michael Phelps his Olympic-record eighth gold medal. The Americans won in a world-record time of 3 minutes, 29.34 seconds, lowering the old mark of 3:30.68 set four years ago in Athens. Peirsol was a part of that team, too, when he won his third gold medal at the 2004 Olympics.

It’s all my fault. Last week, after I failed to mention some of the other Newport-Mesa Olympians who will shake their booties really hard in Beijing over the next two weeks, I received letters, calls, e-mails and a small package wrapped in brown paper I’m pretty sure was ticking before I plunged it into a sink full of water. We are of course desperately proud of all our local Olympians, and any oversight was clearly unintentional and the direct result of ignorance and mild dementia, and those are my good points.

Newport Harbor High product Aaron Peirsol is among the nominees for the 2007 Golden Goggle Awards, an event celebrating the accomplishments of top American swimmers. Peirsol is nominated for 2007 Male Athlete of the Year, where he will be up against fellow world record-holders Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte. All three set individual world records this summer at the FINA World Championships. Peirsol won the 100-meter backstroke at the world championships in Australia in March, lowering his own world-record time to finish in 52.98 seconds.

MELBOURNE, Australia — Aaron Peirsol's reign in the 200-meter backstroke is over. At least for now. The Newport Harbor High product, who had not lost in the 200 back since the 2000 Olympics, finished second to Ryan Lochte, who broke Peirsol's world record, finishing in one minute, 54.32 seconds at the FINA World Championships. Peirsol's former record was 1:54.44. Peirsol, the world and Olympic champion, was under his own world-record pace through 150 meters, but Lochte passed him over the last 50 meters.

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.