Peirsol hands Phelps 1st swim loss in year

CHARLOTTE, N.C., May 16 (UPI) -- Michael Phelps suffered his first defeat in a year Saturday when world record-holder Aaron Peirsol won the 100-meter backstroke.

Peirsol won the race in 53.32 seconds, less than a half second better than Phelps (53.79), who a night earlier returned to competitive swimming for the first time since last summer. Phelps had won the 200-meter freestyle and 100-meter butterfly in the Charlotte UltraSwim Grand Prix.

It was the first time Phelps lost a race since May 17 of last year, when he was beaten by Peirsol in the 200 meter backstroke at Santa Clara, Calif.

Phelps, who won a single-Games record eight gold medals in Beijing, will race Sunday in the 100-meter freestyle.