FanHouse AaronPiersol

We're covering the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials all week.

Thursday night's swimming trials action was all about the upsets. But Friday was about the battles between the favorites.

There really wasn't a big upset on Friday, but we did see plenty of top performances. Rebecca Soni, a disappointment in the 100 meter breastroke, lived up to expectations as she won the 200 meter breaststroke. Amanda Beard, who now splits her time between being a Playboy model, a Go Daddy girl and occasional hops into the pool, showed that she's still able to challenge for a medal, as she qualified for her fourth Olympics by finishing second.

We're previewing all the races that will take place at the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials.

Men's 200 Meter Backstroke

What to watch for: Great backstrokers rotate perfectly and in the the 200 meter distance watch for a backstroker who settles into his stroke without getting worn out. Also keep an eye on the finish. Aaron Peirsol's dive to the finish in the 100 meter backstroke saved him from having to sit on the sidelines during the 100 back in Beijing.

What it takes: Until about a year ago, Peirsol ruled the backstroke in both the 100 and 200 meter distances. Then, a young man named Ryan Lochte became a huge thorn in Peirsol's side and went so far as to take away Peirsol's world record. Lochte is the first seed for these trials and reportedly pulled out of the 200 meter freestyle in order to concentrate on the two backstroke events, so you know he's gunning for an Olympic spot here. The top three seeds in this event are Lochte, Peirsol, and Phelps are separated by less than half a second and that right there sets the pace for the finals in this event.

Unlikely underdogs: Unfortunately, in swimming, usually numbers don't lie. The top three seeds in this event are so close together and separated from the rest of the field by over two seconds. Makes it tough to pick an underdog here that has a realistic shot at Beijing.

My prediction: Lochte and Peirsol are going to represent the U.S. in this event. Phelps will make it an exciting race, though.

We're covering the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials all week.

It was just another routine day at the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials. We saw two world records, a swimmer left out because she finished a preposterous one-hundredth of a second out of second place, and one of the fastest women in the world left home because she finished a surprising third.

Aaron Piersol set one of the world records when he went out and swam a 52.89 100 meter backstroke. Piersol isn't guaranteed to win the gold in Beijing, but it is a safe bet that he won't face a better field than the one he beat on Tuesday night.

"That was the best race I've ever been in," Peirsol said. "Better than the Olympics. This is what I prepared for. I saved some good stuff for tonight. I'm glad I got my head on straight."

Matt Grevers earned the second spot, but third-place finisher Ryan Lochte and fourth place Randall Bal would both have been considered strong contenders for medals if they could swim in Beijing. Instead they'll have to watch as slower swimmers compete in the finals. Michael Phelps won the 200 meter freestyle in the other men's final of the night. Phelps was joined by Peter Vanderkaay, while the rest of the field showed that the U.S. 800 meter free relay should be blazing fast.