Check out the interview with Aaron on SwimmingWorldMagazine.com
The Morning Swim Show: Olympic Gold Medalist Aaron Peirsol Talks About Competition at Olympics, Race for the Oceans Event and His Future in the Sport

“... FIVE-TIME Olympic gold medalist Aaron Peirsol is the featured guest on this Friday edition of The Morning Swim Show.

Peirsol talks to host Peter Busch about the Olympic Games, where he won gold in the 100 back and 400 medley relay and silver in the 200 back. Peirsol said the 100 back was the harder race because the field of swimmers that could contend for a medal had become so deep that he wasn’t sure how he stacked up. In the 200 back, he said, he figured it would be just him and Ryan Lochte battling for gold, and he was surprised that the Russian Arkady Vyatchanin stayed in the race to the end.

Peirsol is involved in an upcoming open-water event called Race for the Oceans, a charity event that will take place in November in Florida to raise money and awareness to save the planet’s oceans. Peirsol said that he plans to swim in the race.

In this interview, Peirsol also talks about the loss of Nike as a sponsor in the high-tech suit business and what alternative events he could potentially swim in the coming years.

...”

Listen (Watch) it here!

****

Voting for 2008 Golden Goggle Awards is open now.
Go here to vote!!!

Voting for 2008 Golden Goggle Awards is open now.
Go here to vote!!!

The winners will be announced at the Fifth Annual Golden Goggle Awards Nov. 17 in New York.

USA Swimming has announced the Golden Goggle Award Nominees (10/8/2008).

Aaron is nominated in three categories:
1.

“...
* Relay Performance of the Year
This award is given to the best team relay performance, male or female.  The performance considered must be a finals performance, with special emphasis on the 2008 Olympic Games.

2008 Olympic Games – Men’s 4 x 100m Medley Relay
The U.S. men kept alive the streak of never losing this race at an Olympic Games at which it competed, and won for the 12th consecutive time in Beijing. Whereas in the past the U.S. men have blown away the competition, this time Australia was a formidable opponent, chasing the U.S. the entire way, with both relays finishing under the previous world record (3:29.34 – 3:30.04). The relay took on some added pressure as Michael Phelps was striving to win his eighth gold medal and become the first athlete in any sport to do this at an Olympic Games. Aaron Peirsol, ever consistent, put the U.S. in front with a solid lead-off (53.1) and handed off to former world record holder, Brendan Hansen, who swam a 59.2 to keep the U.S. in the hunt. Phelps then calmly swam the fastest 100m butterfly split in history (50.1) to give a lead of eight-tenths of a second to Jason Lezak. The U.S. team captain split 46.7 to hold off Australian world record holder Eamon Sullivan and ensure the U.S. victory. ...”

2.

“...
* Male Race of the Year
This award is given to the male swimmer with the greatest single individual race of the year, with special emphasis on the 2008 Olympic Games.

Aaron Peirsol: 100m Back at Olympic Games
Aaron Peirsol had not lost the 100m backstroke in a major competition since the 2001 World Championships, and he continued that impressive streak at the Beijing Olympic Games. After breaking his own world record at the Trials in Omaha (52.89), Peirsol entered the Games as a solid favorite. But after the semifinals, he was only the fifth best qualifier and defending his Olympic title from 2004 seemed like it was going to be a big challenge. Peirsol turned at the halfway point of the race .54 seconds behind Liam Tancock of Great Britain, but quickly erased that deficit and blitzed the entire field on the second 50. His final time of 52.54 was his fifth world record in this race and earned 1022 points on the international performance rankings. ...”

3.

“...
Male Athlete of the Year
This award is given to the top male swimmer of the year with special emphasis on achievements at the 2008 Olympic Games.

Aaron Peirsol
Though he may have a laid back attitude outside the pool, when it comes to racing, Aaron Peirsol is as tenacious as they come. For the past eight years he has been nearly unbeatable, and in Beijing, on his third Olympic team, he won two gold medals and one silver, giving him seven career Olympic medals. The 25-year-old notched his second straight Olympic title in the 100m backstroke, an event he has not lost at a major international meet since 2001. He also won a silver medal in the 200m backstroke in a fantastic race with U.S. teammate Ryan Lochte. It was his third medal in this event dating back to 2000 (silver in 2000, gold in 2004). Peirsol also led off the gold medal-winning 4 x 100m medley relay and staked the U.S. to a key .64 seconds lead over eventual silver medal-winner Australia. At the Trials in Omaha, he won both the 100m and 200m back, both in world record times.

Peirsol’s 2008 at a glance:
* Earned two gold and one silver medal at the 2008 Olympic Games. Has seven career Olympic medals (5 gold/2 silver).
* Won the 100m back in Beijing for the second straight time.
* Won silver in the 200m back. Has three career medals in 200m back in three Olympics.
* Was a member of the 4 x 100m medley relay which won gold and set the world record.
* Broke the 100m back world record two times – once at the Trials and once at the Games – and the 200m back world record once. Has 10 career world records.
* Won both the 100m and 200m back at the Olympic Trials.
* Received his fifth straight nomination in this award category. ...”

* Five-Time Olympic Gold Medalist Aaron Peirsol To Serve As Honorary Grand Marshal for Bank of America 500
from: lms

“... Bank of America, the Official Bank of NASCARR, and Lowe’s Motor Speedway today announced that five-time Olympic gold medal swimmer Aaron Peirsol will serve as the honorary grand marshal for the Bank of America 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup SeriesT race Saturday, Oct. 11 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway (ABC, 7 p.m.).

“Bank of America has been such a huge supporter of my Olympic journey,” said Peirsol. “When they invited me to come to Lowe’s Motor Speedway and be the Honorary Grand Marshal for the Bank of America 500, I was thrilled to get my first chance to make the start-command and get up close and personal with the action at one of the most exciting races in NASCAR.”

Olympian to Visit Race Fans in the Stands During the race, Aaron Peirsol will be among the stars to visit the fans in the Bank of America Turn 4 Club seating section at LMS, along with NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers including Juan Pablo Montoya and Reed Sorenson.

Fans have a few more days, until Oct. 8, to receive two free tickets to the Turn 4 Club by simply opening a NASCAR BankingR checking account and applying for a NASCAR BankingR credit card. Fans can visit one of 64 participating area Bank of America banking centers to sign up for the unique NASCAR-themed check cards, checks and credit cards and receive their tickets. ...”

For more info: Tickets for the Oct. 11 Bank of America 500: call the speedway ticket office at 1-800-455 FANS or check online at www.lowesmotorspeedway.com.

Here is a video from Aaron’s appearance on yesterday’s TODAY SHOW . Scroll down the side a little and check the video on the right side.
Video can be found here

Aaron, Brendan, Dara and Cullen appeared on the show and talked a little about their post-Olympic activities.

* Nike Pulls Out of Olympic Swimwear Battle

* Nike to exit elite swimwear market

“...The company will continue to provide swimwear for universities and sell to traditional retail customers. But it will not compete against the likes of Speedo to get the swoosh on the world’s top swimmers.

Evan Morgenstein, an agent who represents a number of top U.S. swimmers, said Nike’s decision was a blow to elite athletes who depend heavily on apparel companies for their funding - especially in non-Olympic years.

Morgenstein’s clients include Nike-endorsed Olympians Cullen Jones, Brendan Hansen, Aaron Peirsol and Jason Lezak....”

No idea what it means for Aaron and how it will effect swimming in general, but these are not good news.

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