Record makes Peirsol untouchable for world titles: Hackett

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AMERICAN backstroker Aaron Peirsol will go to the world championships in July as an “untouchable” after breaking the 100 metres world record at the US trials, according to Australian team captain Grant Hackett.

Triple Olympic gold medallist Peirsol shocked himself yesterday when he took the world record within reach of the once-unimaginable 53-second barrier.

He clocked 53.17sec, almost a third of a second faster than the standard he set leading off the winning American medley relay at the Olympics (53.45sec).

The normally laidback Californian was flabbergasted by the result, given that he took a four-month break after the Olympics and didn’t resume full training until January.

“I think it’s rare to surprise yourself like that,” Peirsol said.

“I don’t think I’m in peak shape right now, which is very good for Montreal.”

Peirsol is more than half a second clear of the pack, including the next fastest active swimmer, Australian record-holder Matt Welsh (53.78sec). Hackett cannot see a challenger for the American in either the 100m or 200m.

“I think he will be untouchable at the world championships,” Hackett said. “He’s really gaining a monopoly on those events.”

However, Hackett does not predict the same invincibility for another American, six-time Olympic champion Michael Phelps, who is making a move into Australia’s middle-distance domain this year.

Phelps won the 200m and 400m freestyle on the first two days in Indianapolis, and confirmed afterwards “freestyle is my main stroke right now”.

He has dropped two of his Olympic gold medal events, the 200m butterfly and 400m individual medley.

That will automatically turn his clash with fellow multiple Olympic champion Hackett, in the 400m freestyle, into one of the highlights of the world championships.

The Olympic silver medallist in this event, Hackett is already missing his regular sparring partner Ian Thorpe, who has taken a year out of competition, and will relish the Phelps challenge.

“Having Michael in the event has already sparked a lot of interest in it and I enjoy that,” Hackett said.

“I have been swimming for so many years and the more high-profile the event, the more pressure there is, the more credibility it has. That’s the way I like it.”

Phelps is equally enthusiastic.

“I want to try other events and I want to race the best,” Phelps said.

“Without Thorpe swimming the 400, Hackett’s the best guy in the world in that event.”

Phelps’ winning 400m time of 3:47.79 was almost pedestrian compared with Hackett’s 3:44.44 in Sydney last month, but Hackett predicted the American would shed time rapidly in the three months before the world titles.

“He will be fitter by July, no doubt,” Hackett said.

“He will be substantially faster. The fact that he’s doing the race is enough to know that a good swim will be required to win.

“The 200m is more his forte but I think he could get down to a 3:41, 42, 43 (Hackett’s best is 3:42.51). He’s an incredible athlete.”

But Hackett said Phelps’ presence would not distract him from his own performance in Montreal.

“Hopefully then, the result will go my way,” he said.

Phelps was more impressive in the 200m final, clocking 1:46.44 – slightly slower than Hackett’s trials time of 1:46.20. The Americans showed formidable depth in the event. The first four broke 1:49, underlining the challenge the Australians face to defend their world 4×200m freestyle title without Thorpe, after losing the Olympic crown to their arch-rivals last year.

The American women, also the Olympic champions, are struggling for depth in the 200m. That creates an outstanding opportunity for Australia’s most under-achieving relay to finally claim the world 4×200m title.

The latest American prodigy, 15-year-old Katie Hoff, was a surprise winner in 1:59.56.

Hoff was dynamic in the 200m individual medley, winning in a US record of 2:11.24. She will present a considerable obstacle to Brooke Hanson’s ambitions in that event.