Great Races: The Melbourne Showdown of Ryan Lochte vs. Aaron Peirsol (Video)
Periodically, Swimming World runs a feature on a great race from history. The series offers a look at some of the defining moments in the sport, with today’s installment the men’s 200 backstroke from the 2007 World Championships in Melbourne.
Leading into the final of the 200 backstroke at the 2007 World Championships in Melbourne, there was no doubt about the favorite for gold. The clear choice was American Aaron Peirsol, the reigning Olympic titlist and three-time defending world champion. Not only was Peirsol the world-record holder, he hadn’t lost the event in major competition since he made his Olympic debut as a teenager at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. There, a 17-year-old Peirsol claimed the silver medal behind countryman Lenny Krayzelburg.
While Peirsol reigned as king of the backstroke, Ryan Lochte was still best known as a Best Man of sorts, thanks to his No. 2 status to Michael Phelps in the medley events and to Peirsol in the backstroke disciplines. Heck, he claimed three silver medals in Melbourne, finishing behind Peirsol in the 100 backstroke and second to Phelps in both individual medley events. Yet, there was no doubt that Lochte was developing at a rapid rate, and it was a matter of time before his profile was elevated.
The 200 backstroke served as his launching pad.
The bronze medalist in the 200 backstroke at the 2005 World Champs in Montreal, where Peirsol prevailed, Lochte produced a statement swim in the semifinals in Melbourne when he secured the top seed for the final. With Lochte touching in 1:55.99, to the 1:56.39 of Peirsol, there was an indication that a Lochte breakthrough could be on the horizon. Then again, Peirsol was long known for his ability to move through qualifying in calculated fashion, only exerting enough energy to get to the race that mattered.
Through the opening 100 meters of the championship final, little separated the Americans, who were basically dueling in a match race. At the first turn, Peirsol was slightly ahead, 26.81 to 26.88, with his edge moving to 55.47 to 55.67 at the midway point. On the third lap, Peirsol made a significant surge and held an edge of 1:24.56 to 1:25.05 entering the final length.
The half-second advantage enjoyed by Peirsol, though, was short-lived, erased by Lochte via a spectacular final turn. By the time Lochte surfaced, he was dead even with Peirsol and eventually pulled away, his winning time of 1:54.32 bettering Peirsol’s world record of 1:54.44. Peirsol stopped the clock in 1:54.80, another in a long line of sterling performances for the future Hall of Famer. The last lap was obviously the difference-maker, as Lochte split 29.27, with Peirsol closing in 30.24. The bronze medal went to Austrian Markus Rogan in 1:56.02.
In a little less than two minutes, Lochte changed the arc of his career. He was no longer a second-fiddle type. Instead, he had proven himself capable of beating one of the sport’s top athletes, a scenario that would repeat itself at the 2011 World Champs, when Lochte topped Michael Phelps in the 200 individual medley and 200 freestyle.
A year later, Lochte and Peirsol tangled again at the Olympic Games in Beijing, with Lochte earning gold and Peirsol adding a silver medal to his repeat Olympic crown in the 100 backstroke. While Lochte continued on and realized some of his best days in the years ahead, Peirsol opted to walk away, leaving a legacy as one of the swimming’s all-time greats.
“I’m not going to lie, I’m still kind of in shock that it actually happened,” Lochte said in Melbourne. “There are some people in the sport of swimming that go out there and swim for second because they don’t think they can beat a Phelps or a Peirsol. I go in there and honestly think I can.”
