News:
Michael Phelps Online is online again. The gallery will be back in a few days but the site is now back again. For anyone who wanted to know.

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New Aaron pictures from Montreal can be found on SwimStars.org. Suz put her own pictures online now.

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Big Thank you to Mary, who translated three articles about the Montreal World Championships.
One about Ian Crocker and Michael Phelps: Tactfully Crocker.
One about Michael Phelps: Phelps in a terrible state

And the one about Aaron: Peirsol, the monologue of the backstroker

Again he is speaking. He always speaks. Now during the press conference with his neighbour at the table. A short while ago, on the podium with his fellows, looking at the flag raising. And maybe earlier, behind the starting block before diving in the water, in the end. It’s only during the race that Aaron Peirsol remains quiet. Or else he express himself in another way. But in all the same easy manner. With the same relax mind. Except one difference : his earthly dialogs become watered monologues.

Sunday, July 31st, 2005

Peirsol, le monologue du dossiste
Peirsol, the monologue of the backstroker

The American put some record in his gold. One more line on the route of a champion of exception.

Again he is speaking. He always speaks. Now during the press conference with his neighbour at the table. A short while ago, on the podium with his fellows, looking at the flag raising. And maybe earlier, behind the starting block before diving in the water, in the end. It’s only during the race that Aaron Peirsol remains quiet. Or else he express himself in another way. But in all the same easy manner. With the same relax mind. Except one difference : his earthly dialogs become watered monologues.

For, as soon as he leaves this world of “Earth people” that suits him so well, as soon as he joins the Universe of the back that he only sees from upon, the Californian from Irvine, in the South of Los Angeles, travels alone. Without rival. Scarcely beaten on 100m, undefeated on 200m since the Games of Sydney in 2000 and his silver medal in Lenny Krayzelburg’s wave, his guardian, another good ambassador. As an evidence, a gesture of gratitude from Markus Rogan, a not-that-bad Austrian, who often (and even more on Friday) can have the leftovers of the cake, i.e. the silver. Being fun so as not to be frustrated, to describe his pool’s buddies.

MR “What can I tell you about Aaron ? Nothing, just that he has feet of that size (miming with his hands). It’s the only thing I see.”

The rest, his techniques or talents, just watch. To understand that this handsome guy from Pacific, exile for his studies in Austin, Texas, was born to be a backstroker. Besides, even Wella, his mother, quite clever with words, is convinced.

WP “Everything started at his birth. It took him only fifty minutes to be born. I’ve always thought he swam out…”

Follows a childhood near water. The one of the next-door Ocean, snatched by surfing, his second love in which he has almost as much inspiration. The one of the Novaquatics’ pools, the club where he started with Dave Salo, his first “guru”. About Aaron, the US head coach for the male team in Montréal says.

DS “ His body is made to swim the back, he is tall and very thin. He also has a big sense of speed in his swim, because his move is flowing in its whole. This mixture makes him be the fastest backstroker in the world.”
And Salo has been convinced since the kid is 13.

DS “In the end, the hardest was to develop his own vision of his potential, to convince him when he was young that he could go to the Games and beat world records”.

“Telling bullshit is good for health”

The strength of this full-of-promises Peirsol is to have first sketch, and then mould his ambition without changing an inch of his personality, without a concession to his philosophy about life.
AP “My aim in life ? Being happy, it seems silly but that’s it. And in life, I like laughing, telling bullshits to my buddies. It’s important and good for health.”

So he speaks again. He always speaks. But he also tells jokes. Often with girls, almost a second nature. It’s how, going out of his golden-200m-back race, on Friday, in the mix zone, Aaron Peirsol stopped of his own free will in front of an unknown camera. “You need me ?” he asked winking at the beauty in charge of the interviews. How can you say no?

The triple Olympic champion in Athens (100m and 200m back, 400m relay medley) shared without too many effusions the happiness of a world title, his third on the distance, his fifth individual, his second of the week after the 100m back. Supreme elegance, this one is spiced with a world record (1’54”66).

AP “I’m capable to be here on the good time. I think I start taking possession of this race”, he secretly says.

Modest, moreover, to describe a dictatorship which could be an humiliation but seem to please even his subjects.

Aaron Peirsol insist on the fact he has been undefeated for almost five years on 200m back. In 2002, he had dared this confession:
AP “ My aim is to be undefeated till the end of my career on this distance. Like the Olympic gold, it’s what makes a champion. It also tells a lot about who you are.”

A good guy. A talkative person. A prodigy. A backstroker of exception who doesn’t drown his realism in an insolent success. “It will be hard, I know”. And long, Aaron. Very long. Because he is only 22.

Benoît Lallement, Montréal
Translated by Mary

A big Thank you to Charlene for the new Index page of APO.
Thanks to Naddy as well for the help.
The Most Popular Picture of August is now visible in the box on the right side. (The Birthday messages are now linked in the Fansection). Click on the pic to view it in full size.  This picture was the one with the most hits. I am curious what you think.

ETA:  Check out the Guestbook to know who the one next to Aaron is on the picture

News:
I added a new Link to the Links Section. Welcome to Michael Phelps Net as a new Affiliate. 

Michael Phelps. Net voted Aaron Peirsol Online to site of the Month.
Thank you!

I updated the Next Meets on the right side as well.
There is still no real info whether Aaron will participate in the Surf Jam or not.  He has another appearance scheduled the day before in Wisconsin but according to Surfriders.Org Aaron ist still scheduled for the Surf Jam. I hope to get some info about all that soon.

So as promised I updated the Gallery again.
The Mutual of Omaha Interview with Aaron will follow soon.
And I plan to put some Montreal videos online, too but that will take a while.

* Duke’s Ocean Mile Pictures -
A big Thank you to Unfamous again!
You can find all of the pictures under Misc 2005 in the Summer Clinics Gallery

* Fox “Hope Rocks” 2005 ScreenCaps -
Many Thanks to Onecoldcanadian
You can find all screencaps under Misc Meets in the Fox “Hope Rocks 2005” ScreenCaps Gallery

The new feature will be introcuded within the next days and you will know which picture made it the Most famous of the Month August.

I am back again and I hoppe to catch up with news and everything else in the next days.

First: Hurrican Relief
Here are some links for anyone of you who want to donate for the victims of the Hurrican. I think to put the links online here is the least thing I can do.

Red Cross

Second Harvest
Hurricane Watch Net

hurricanehousing.org
Hurricane Katrina has left hundreds of thousands of people homeless. But thousands of people throughout the region are stepping up to offer free shelter to those in need.
The Pet shelter CARA

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So Aaron was on TV this weekend. Sandeno, Peirsol to Appear on FOX Television This Weekend . And maybe it will be aired again.

* I will add new pictures from Hawaii later.
Many Thanks to Unfamous.

Other news:
* Peirsol pays tribute to the Duke (9/1/2005)
Read more in the Articles Section!
* Celebrities and Champion Surfers Will Share the Spotlight at the Surfrider Foundation Celebrity Surf Jam, Sept. 11
* Olympic medalists to speak during Mathy Center dedication

By KATE SCHOTT La Crosse Tribune

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Three Olympic gold medalists will be the special guests during the Sept. 10 grand opening celebration of the Amie L. Mathy Center for Recreation and Education, Viterbo University announced.

Gold medal Olympians Jennie Finch, Julie Foudy and Aaron Peirsol each will speak during the dedication of the Mathy Center, the $7.5 million building that will be used by both Viterbo and the Boys & Girls Club of Greater

La Crosse.

The three athletes were booked only recently, Viterbo University President Bill Medland said Friday. Their schedules loosened up and the boards of the organizations involved with the Mathy Center felt the trio would inspire the children who will attend the opening ceremony, Medland said.

“This facility will have a heavy accent on young people and students,” he said. “These Olympians are all relatively young people who can relate to youth. What bringing them here would tell a youth is, ‘If they can do it, I can do it.’”

Sept. 10 is the first time the community will get to peek into the 58,000-square-foot facility, which is on Eighth Street between Winnebago and Mississippi streets on the Viterbo campus. It is named after the late Amie L. Mathy, an engineer and founder of Mathy Construction, who died in 1987.

The building has three regulation-size gymnasiums, a teen center, a cardiovascular fitness room, a one-eighth mile walking and jogging track, game rooms, a free weight strength training center, computer lab and art room.

Administrators from both the university and the club have said the facility will alleviate crowding on the Viterbo campus and allow the Boys & Girls Clubs to expand their programs and serve more area youth. Viterbo students most likely will work with Boys & Girls Club members as mentors.

“This is really a gift to the community and indeed a community treasure,” Medland said. “It’s a tremendous benefit to the students at Viterbo University and an even greater benefit for the children at the club.”

Kate Schott can be reached at (608) 791-8226 or Kate.Schott@lacrossetribune.com .

I will be gone for the next 9 days so there won’t be any updates during the next week. I will be back around next Sunday or Monday and will continue with the picture and video updates I still haven’t managed to put online.

* But before I go I updated the Fansection with a new wallpaper.
Thanks to Marianna

* Gallery Update.
Big Thank you to Unfamous for the pics of the Hawaii Clinic.

All of her pictures can be found in the Summer Clinics Gallery

I added new pictures to:
* Thanks to Elysha

Olympic Trials Fanpictures

* Athens Professional Pictures

Pictures from 2004 to
* Santa Clara Invitational

Fan Pictures from 2005: Thanks to Norcalgirlosu
* Santa Clara 2005

Pictures from 2002
* Moscow 2002

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