Peirsol, Cocker, Hansen all shine in pool duel with Australia team

The world's two preeminent swimming powers squared off in a head-to-head meet in Irvine, Calif., bolstering a rivalry widely considered the best in the sport. Like the 2004 Olympics last year, the swimming events were littered with former Longhorns.

The Australia Telstra Dolphins and Team USA competed in the 2005 Mutual of Omaha Duel in the Pool, which was aired on national television over the weekend, to see which country could stand atop the swimming pedestal.

Team USA garnered bragging rights for the time being, winning the meet 190-102.

While Michael Phelps and Natalie Coughlin headlined a star-studded field of American swimmers, which won 18-28 events, a strong contention of Longhorns played a key role in deciding the outcome.

Former Longhorns Ian Crocker, Brendan Hansen and Aaron Peirsol each won multiple events, while current Longhorn Garrett Weber-Gale won one race.

"It was fantastic," Peirsol told duelinthepool.com. "I couldn't ask for a better meet as far as the competition goes and the crowd. This was fun - the kind of stuff that keeps you rejuvenated and keeps you young. You're exhausted, but you don't think about it. You just go out and swim. It's a great meet."

Peirsol, an Orange County native, continued to dismantle his backstroke competition. He won the 100-meter (54.04) and 200m (1:57.31) backstroke as well as swimming a leg in the winning 400m medley relay.

A 2004 Olympic Gold medalist, Peirsol currently holds the world record in both backstroke events. He has swept both the 100m and 200m backstrokes 10 times now in major national and international meets.

Coming off of an impressive showing at the World Championships, Crocker, also an Olympic Gold medalist, won the 400m medley relay and the 100m butterfly (51.55), which he holds the world record in (50.40).

Back at the World Championships in July, Crocker shattered the 100m butterfly world record by .36 seconds, leaving Phelps in his rearview mirror.

Hansen, virtually unbeatable while in college, continued his domination at the highest of stages.

He won the 100m and 200m breaststroke and, like his former Longhorn teammates, also swam a leg in the winning 400m medley relay.

"As far as getting up for the meet and getting excited, Mutual of Omaha did a great job of setting up the venue, so the atmosphere around the pool and from the people in the stands didn't reflect that we were up by so much," Hansen told duelinthepool.com. "Their energy really carried us through."

Also making a splash in the meet was Weber-Gale, an incoming junior for Texas.

He joined former Longhorns and swimming veterans Neil Walker and Nate Dusing to win the 400m freestyle relay.

Kind of like the Olympics, the Duel in the Pool had plenty of swimmers in the lanes and on the medal stand by the time the event was over.