Newz Forum: OLYMPICS: American wins gold on appeal

Aaron Peirsol won his second gold medal at the Athens Olympics Thursday after winning an appeal against his disqualification from the men's 200 meter backstroke.

The American led from start to finish to easily win the race five meters ahead of Austrian Markus Rogan only to learn he had been disqualified for an illegal turn on the last lap.

But Peirsol was quickly reinstated after convincing officials he had done nothing wrong, allowing the U.S. to clean up three of the four gold medals on offer in the pool on Thursday.

Teen-ager Michael Phelps won his fourth gold in the men's 200 individual medley to remain on course for a record eight medals at Athens, while Amanda Beard finally won gold in the 200 breaststroke eight years after she got a silver in Atlanta.

Jodie Henry won the 100 freestyle final to give Australia their first victory in the premier women's sprint since Dawn Fraser won the race for the third time in 1964.

Henry, who also won a relay gold on the opening night of competition, failed to match the world record of 53.52 seconds she set in Wednesday's semi-finals but her time of 53.84 was still enough to win.

Dutch defending champion Inge de Bruijn finished second in 54.16 after leading at the halfway mark while American Natalie Coughlin was third in 54.40.

Peirsol was as confused as everyone else when told he had been disqualified after cruising to victory in 1:54.95.

"I don't know what I did," Peirsol told reporters before the appeal was heard. "Nobody told me anything, it sounds bogus to me."

Rogan was briefly promoted to the gold medal position but said had no complaints when his was relegated back to the silver.