Swimming at the 2000 Sydney Summer Games:

Lenny Krayzelburg, the American who had won both backstroke titles at the most recent world championships, had been unbeaten for two years prior to the US Olympic trials but at the trials he suffered a surprise defeat by to 17-year-old Aaron Peirsol. Krayzelburg was back on form in time for the Olympic Games and swam away from Peirsol to win the gold medal by three quarters of a second. He became the fourth man to win the double of 100 and 200 metres backstroke gold medals at the Olympic Games.

Although beaten by Krayzelburg in Sydney, Peirsol would return to dominate the backstroke events Olympics in 2004 and 2008 and win five Olympic titles.