Peirsol rises to the big occasion yet again

Cool and calm under pressure, Aaron Peirsol rose to the big occasion yet again to become the first man in 36 years to retain the Olympic 100m backstroke title.

Slower than his rivals in the early rounds, Peirsol utterly outswam them in Tuesday's final to lower the world record for the fifth time and emulate Roland Matthes of the old East Germany, the last man to win the event twice, in 1968 and 1972.

Peirsol, who picked up the Olympic 200 backstroke silver medal at 17 in 2000, showed his powers were undiminished by carving 0.35 sec from his own world record to win by more than half a second in 52.54.