A pair of champions

Elizabeth Beisel can be considered a veteran on this year's U.S. swimming world championships team.

It's her fourth time on a national team, and she was a 2008 Olympian.

Yet she is only 16.

Beisel is excited about competing this week in the FINA World Championships in Rome, but the Rhode Island is also looking forward to her newfound status as part of the "older'' crowd.

"It's definitely cool not to be the young one anymore," Beisel said. "I can say, 'You can't make fun of me anymore!'

Now there's a different Elizabeth taking that rookie role: Elizabeth Pelton, 15, a Baltimore native who trains in the same pool as Olympians Michael Phelps and Katie Hoff.

And Pelton might become a star in her own right before long. She was the only swimmer to qualify for four individual events at the world championships --- the 200 IM, and the 50-meter, 100-meter and 200-meter backstroke.

She decided not to compete in the 200 IM in Rome, because the schedule conflicted with the 100-meter backstroke, but she but will participate in all of the backstroke events. She believed she couldn't improve her 200 IM at worlds, and wanted to focus on her specialty, the backstroke. Her spot in the 200 IM opened the door for Ariana Kukors, who wound up shocking the swimming world by posting a world-record time of 2:07:03 in a semifinal race, besting that of Olympic gold medalist Stephanie Rice.

"(Pelton) definitely has potential to medal in her events," Beisel said. "She's definitely a great competitor and she gets out pretty fast."

Pelton will also be the first of the Elizabeths to compete at the world championships, taking to the pool Monday for the 100 back. She will then compete Thursday in the 50 back.  

Beisel and Pelton will face each other Friday in the 200 back. Beisel will then finish her world championships Sunday with the 400 IM.

Despite practicing next to some of the biggest names in the sport, Pelton said she still felt some nerves earlier this month at the 2009 ConocoPhillips USA Swimming National Championships in Indianapolis.

"All of these races are really nerve-wracking,'' Pelton said. "When those lights go on and you start hearing them count down-then you know you've got less than a minute to go."

Pelton likely will feel nerves again in Rome, but Beisel will try to help the new baby of the swim team keep those to a minimum.

"She's definitely sort of like a little sister to me," Beisel said of Pelton. "She is very mature, but this is her first major international competition. I won't be mentoring her, but just keep her under my wing and hopefully she'll do well.

"She's a great kid. I've known her for a while. She's very bubbly, sort of like my personality. She's very friendly."

Beisel and Pelton's age, along with that of many other U.S. world team members, might be a sign the future in swimming is happening now.

"I think this team is kind of the next generation," Pelton said. "There are still a lot of great swimmers returning, but the next generation is starting to make their move."

The next generation's first move will occur this week in Rome.

"There are a lot of new faces and a lot of people who are on their first world championship team," said U.S. coach Bob Bowman, who coaches Phelps and Hoff in Baltimore. "That's always exciting. You have people like Elizabeth Pelton-they're going to get a chance to see that level.

"It's very hard to step up to that level from what they've been doing."

Pelton said she hasn't thought too much about goals for the world championships.

"I want to try to get into a final, but I haven't focused on it, too much," Pelton said. "I was just worrying about the U.S. Championships. "I think the first thing is to have fun, then the swims will come after that."

Beisel won the 200 back at the national championships in 2:08.80, edging Pelton, who finished second in 2:09.19.

"My strategy the last two years has been to bring it home the last 100, and especially the last 50," Beisel said. "I sort of knew what I had to do. Knowing I have that extra gear gives me a lot of confidence and lets me know I can bring it home."

Those sound like words of a veteran, which is what Beisel feels like these days at her ripe old age.

"It's pretty cool," she said. "It's great to have that experience under my belt; it definitely helps with the nerves and pressure. I'm starting to get older, a little bit more mature with that experience."

Now, Beisel can sit back and watch other young swimmers make a name for themselves.

"This has been a breakout year for a lot of people," Beisel said. "It's cool to see the younger ones coming up because this is our future."

Spoken like a true veteran.

Story courtesy Red Line Editorial, Inc. Brian Peloza is a freelance contributor for teamusa.org. This story was not subject to the approval of the United States Olympic Committee or any National Governing Bodies.