Oceana's blog

The official position out of Colorado Springs is that the Chinese will knock Uncle Sam's top hat over their Great Wall at next summer's Olympics. "It's no secret that we're more than underdogs," US Olympic Committee chief executive Jim Scherr says. "They're blowing us out of the water in the gold-medal race."

Yet while it's clear China has displaced Russia as the top United States challenger, the numbers say the Americans still will top the table in Beijing, just as they have at the last three Games.

Maybe they won't hit the same jackpot they did in Athens, when the Yanks won 102 medals, 36 of them gold. But the US has a massive edge where it counts, in track and field and swimming, where it could win more than 60 medals and nearly 40 golds. "Doing well in those two sports lays a great foundation for you," says Steve Roush, the USOC's sports performance chief.

The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) has unveiled an advertising campaign for the 2008 Summer Olympics just 24 hours after General Motors announced it is to quit its USOC sponsorship after the Beijing Games.

The campaign is called ‘Amazing Awaits’ and will include TV spots, print advertising in publications such as USA Today, Sports Illustrated, SportsBusinessJournal and Brandweek, and a website, www.amazingawaits.org.

Quoted in Brandweek, USOC CEO Jim Scherr said the campaign will "help communicate the unique values of the Olympic brand ahead of the 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Games."

Faster than Melbourne 2007, 0.12sec shy of Michael Phelps over in Indy and not quite fast enough to snatch back the 200m backstroke crown from fellow America Ryan Lochte, Aaron Peirsol provided the highlight of the second day at the Paris Open with a stormy 1:54.77 victory ahead of the only man on the same chart, Austrian Markus Rogan, on 1:55.74.

The second session of finals also saw Sweden's Stefan Nystrand dive deeper into the sub 22sec club, with a 21.93sec win over 50m freestyle, 0.04sec inside the Swedish record he established at the world championships, and a 53.80sec victory for German Britta Steffen over 100m freestyle, 0.5sec shy of her world record.

The lack of a world or European record at the Paris Open had some lamenting a near-miss for the event but organizers need not be so pessimistic. There are more ways that records to measure a meet and this one was high on excellent, world-class performances, an event brimming with important notes on the road to Beijing, loaded with warnings for those who care to heed them. It was full of promise too: the Open is worth encouraging (though get the format and timing wrong and it will sink into the swill of all those other meets that make up a calendar crying out for the chop).

In the 200m backstroke, Alessia Filippi, of Italy, defeated world champion Margaret Hoelzer, 2:09.06 to 2:09.55 in a stroke-for-stroke battle that got no loser than the 0.66sec that split the two rivals at the first turn.

Having broken the world record over 100m backstroke at Melbourne and then slip a touch to second and suffer the loss of his world record to US teammate Ryan Lochte over 200m, Aaron Peirsol might have taken the view that two laps is a safer option than four in the future.

Bad new for rivals: no chance. As he emerged from the smoothest 1:57.62 morning heats swim you can imagine at the Paris Open, Peirsol, who turned 24 on July 23, was asked whether the quickest 100 ever would at some stage translate to the fastest 200 ever.

"Hopefully it does," said the Olympic champion. "With speed and endurance, you look to find a good balance between the two. I've been training well enough to know that the 200 is up there [above] the 100. My 200 is still the main focus. I think I can have a good 100 too but the 200 is the one."

A plastic dinner tray from McDonald's doesn't belong on the beach. But when Aaron Peirsol found a tray in the sand at Newport Beach, Calif., a few years ago, he picked it up and put it to new use. Plunging into the surf, the world's fastest backstroker used it as a kickboard, paddling into the ocean waters alongside the city where he grew up. As he swam, he thought about how he had explored the back bays of Newport Beach as a kid, poking at ocean creatures and contemplating the never-ending blue. About how this ocean he once knew as a junior lifeguard was changing. How the first rains each spring now bring runoff and bacterial growth that temporarily close the beach.

PARIS, France, July 19. While many of the top American athletes will gather at the Indiana University Natatorium for the United States Summer Nationals from July 31-August 4, remember to keep an eye on Paris. Facing top-flight competition across the pond, the likes of Aaron Peirsol and Amanda Beard will highlight their summer seasons in a different venue. Don't be surprised if both athletes deliver exceptional performances.

Last week, at the Texas Senior Circuit Championships, Peirsol used the low-profile competition to send a statement to the rest of the world. Not only did Peirsol, the finest backstroker in history, pop a spectacular time of 1:55.46 in the 200 distance, he also dipped below the two-minute barrier in the 200 butterfly, an event hardly a focus for the Southern California native. The effort in the fly was just another indication of Peirsol's vast talent.

Aaron Peirsol went his best ever in-season time (which means he was within striking distance of the world record) at the Texas Senior Meet. Not to be outdone, his teammate Hill Taylor one up’ed him by shattering the 50 backstroke world record (details to follow). Other parts of the country allowed youngsters to shine, but veteran Rachel Komisarz came through in fine form in the 100 fly.

Let’s start with Peirsol. I swam in the lane next to him, so let me assure this swim of his was impressive. Out quickly as always (56.51) he was equally good on the last 100, bringing it home in 58.9, for an incredible 1:55.46. That’s almost exactly a second off of the World Record. Not bad for “just another meet in Texas.” Other notable swims on the men’s side were Matthew McGinnis’ 200 free (1:49.01), followed by teammate Ryan Verlatti (1:50.91). Eric Shanteau beat out National Teamer Matt Lowe in the 100 breast (1:02.50 to 1:03.74), Ian Crocker took his baby (the 100 fly) in 52.44, followed by Dan Rohleder (53.91), and Agustin “Goose” Magruder took the 400 IM (4:30.19).

AUSTIN, Texas, July 13. Best known for his wide array of backstroke accomplishments, ranging from Olympic titles to world records to world championships, Aaron Peirsol put on a show in another realm Friday night. Competing at the Texas Senior Circuit Championships, Peirsol cracked the two-minute barrier in the 200 butterfly.

The reigning Olympic champ in the 100 and 200 backstroke events and the only man in history to crack the 53-second barrier in the 100 back, Peirsol clocked 1:59.66 in the 200 butterfly. The swim supplied a win over Longhorn Aquatics teammate Michael Klueh, who registered a fine performance of 2:00.53. More, the effort was proof of Peirsol's versatility, which sometimes goes overlooked. Should he desire, there's little doubt Peirsol could be an international player in the 200 freestyle and 200 individual medley.