aaron peirsol

The inaugural Aaron Peirsol’s Race for the Oceans was a splashing success this weekend. Hundreds of swimmers, from age 9 to 59, gathered in Ft. Myers, Florida for their chance to race against the seven-time Olympic medalist and support ocean conservation.

Aaron Peirsol's teammate Ryan Lochte won his first individual gold medal in the 200-meter backstroke final in a world record of 1 minute, 53.94 seconds.

While many assumed Aaron would become the first man in 36 years to sweep the Olympic backstroke events at consecutive Games, the "greatest backstroker of all time" took second place in stride.

As he said to the Orange County Register, “It really doesn’t take anything away from my career, a race is a race. You can get beat, no one owns anything.”

The event brings Aaron's career medal count to 4 golds and two silvers -- not too shabby!

[Image: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images via www.nytimes.com]

We watched last night as our favorite backstroker-slash-ocean lover, Aaron Peirsol, won his fourth Olympic gold medal and set a world record of 52.54 seconds in the 100-meter backstroke, which made him the first man since Roland Matthes of East Germany in 1968 and 1972 to win back-to-back 100 backstroke titles at the Games, according to the New York Times' report.

It was an exciting race. The first 50 meters saw Aaron lagging behind in lane two, but after his flip and a fierce kick off the wall, he surged ahead. The commentators roared.

Not only did Oceana supporter and Olympic gold medalist Aaron Peirsol break yet another world record on Friday's Olympic trials in the 200 meter backstroke, but he and Amanda Beard -- another Oceana supporter -- have both made the 2008 Olympic team.

Join us in watching them as they compete in Beijing.

Oceana partner and Olympic medalist Aaron Peirsol set a world record last night in the 100-meter backstroke at the U.S. Olympic swimming trials against what he said was the toughest field he's ever faced -- including Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte, and Randall Bal.

Only five weeks until the Olympics... get excited to see Aaron in action.