Aaron Peirsol
Backstroke king with three individual Olympic titles
Overview
Peirsol won the 100 m and 200 m backstroke at Athens 2004 and defended the 100 m at Beijing 2008, adding medley relay golds. He held world records in both backstroke distances for years and won a long series of world championship titles. His rivalry with teammate Ryan Lochte pushed the 200 m backstroke to new levels late in the decade.
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