Top 20 Swimmers of the 2000s - No.6 - Aaron Peirsol

Performance 2000-2009

Olympics - 3 Gold, 2 Silver
Worlds - 7 Gold, 1 Silver
WRs - 100 Back (2004-2009) (2009-2010), 200 Breast (2002-2007) (2008) (2009-2010)
World Swimmer of the Year - None

Losing out to Kitajima by the narrowest of margins is Aaron Peirsol. They are so close in my mind that they really could have been 5a and 5b. Peirsol has dominated men's backstroke over the last decade. Taking over from Lenny Krazelburg as the world's best backstroker, he became the fastest ever over 200m in 2002 and the fastest at 100m in 2004. Despite briefly losing both of his world records to other swimmers (Aschwin Wildeboer in the 100m and Ryan Lochte in the 200m), Peirsol showed what a tremendous athlete he was by regaining both records in 2009. Peirsol has had the added pleasure of being not only the first man under 53 seconds, but also the first man under 52 seconds in the 100 back and in the 200m Back he broke the 1:55, 1:53 and 1:52 barriers. He has done more than any man in the last decade to move men's backstroke onto what it is now.

Winning his first Olympic medal aged 17 in Sydney in the 200m Back, Peirsol was a prodigous talent. Ranking 20th in the world at 200m Back in 1998 at the age of just 15 with 2:01.39, he then moved up to 10th in 1999, aged 16, with 1:59.75.

Peirsol swept both the 100m and 200m Backstroke's at the 2004 Olympics and 2003 and 2005 Worlds. In Beijing, Peirsol won Gold in the 100m Back only for Ryan Lochte to thwart his efforts to win both backstroke events at back-to-back Olympics. With the return to textile suits, Peirsol must be considered favourite for both events again at London 2012.

Despite swimming at the highest level for a decade, Peirsol is still only 26 years of age and, worryingly for his rivals, has many good years ahead of him.

Having lost his 200m Back Olympic crown and World Record to Ryan Lochte in 2008, here is Peirsol's stunning reply from Rome 2009.

Top 20 Swimmers of the 2000s - No.1 - Michael Phelps

Award season is upon us here at Speed Endurance HQ.

Over the coming weeks I will be running down my Top 20 Swimmers of 2000-2009. Unlike most lists I will do it in ascending order. Part of the excitement of these lists is discovering who is no.1 and since most people on the planet could guess who that will be I've decided to go the other way. I hope I don't upset too many 'list-purists' in the process.

Entry onto this list will depend on a number of factors. Weighted most heavily will be individual performance at the Olympics and World Championships (Relay medals won't count), followed by duration of time as WR holder and number of World Swimmer of the Year awards. The final factor will be the swimmer's impact and dominance in the sport of swimming.

So without further ado...

No. 1 - Michael Phelps

Performance 2000-2009

Olympics - 9 Golds, 1 Bronze
Worlds - 13 Gold, 3 Silver
WRs - 200 Free - 2007-2009, 100 Fly - 2003, 2009-2010, 200 Fly 2001-2010, 200 IM - 2003-2009, 400 IM - 2002-2010
World Swimmer of the Year - 6 times, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009

The greatest swimmer to have ever lived. He took up Ian Thorpe's mantle as the most famous swimmer in the world and ran with it. To say he raised the bar of swimming doesn't even begin to go far enough.

Phelps was made to swim - mentally and physically. With his enormous wingspan, short legs and hypermobile ankles he has a swimmers physique unmatched by many aswell as a mental steel and toughness that has allowed him to remain motivated despite his success. Whilst many swimming stars reach the top of the world for a couple of years and then are surpassed by younger talent or lose their motivation to stay at the top, Phelps seems to be just as motivated now as in Sydney as a 15 year old coming 5th in the 200m Fly final.

A great piece on Michael Phelps here by GB 200 fly swimmer Steve Parry.