Brendan Hansen competes in the Men's 4x100m Medley Relay during the Duel in the Pool at the Georgia Tech Aquatic Center on December 16 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

They’ll be competing at the second of seven Grand Prix Series long-course events, held by USA Swimming this year, giving swimmers additional chances at achieving their Olympic Trials qualifying times.

Local clubs, RMSC and Machine Aquatic, will be in attendance with members from their national teams, who are all looking to add to or make their first Trials cuts.

“We have ten swimmers within three-tenths of a second of a [Trials] cut time,” said Machine Head Coach Daniel Jacobs. “USA Swimming has been pushing the bar to get teams to compete in the Grand Prix Series. It’s great to get out here and see the country’s best competing.”

Getting her first taste at this level will be 13-year-old Suzanne Dolan, swimming for Machine. She will join the team’s headliners, Ryan Natal (17) and Ali Haufler (17), who are both gunning for their first Trials cuts.

Already qualified for Trials, RMSC’s Jack Conger (17) will be competing for several finals appearances, including “A” Finals in the 100 and 200 backstroke events. The reigning Boys’ All-Met Swimmer of the Year will be joined by the Girls’ Swimmer of the Year, Sarah Haase (17), who is looking to add to her list of events for Trials in June.

They’ll compete against marquee names who use these series as training meets, as they hone their race skills before the last push to Trials.

Phelps is entered in six events, including the 100 freestyle, where he will meet American sprint-star Nathan Adrian. Phelps is expected to mix up his events going into his fourth Olympics, and may add the 100 free to his repertoire at Trials this year. In 2008, Phelps competed in the event in order to secure a spot on the Men’s 4×100 freestyle relay.

The underlying story of the meet surrounds the “come-back kids” for this year’s Olympics, which include former area standout Ed Moses, alongside sprinter Anthony Ervin, Brendan Hansen, and Olympic legend Janet Evans.

Former Olympic gold medalist JanetEvans trains in Huntington Beach, Calif. (Chris Carlson/AP)

If you’re not familiar with Evans, check out her biography page on her website. The four-time Olympic gold medalist is often considered the greatest American distance freestyler of all time.

Another long-time retiree, Moses is striving to get back to his 2000 form, documented in his Universal Sports series “Against the Tide.”

The furthest along in the group of former Olympians is Hansen, who had a brilliant Duel in the Pool, winning both the 100 and 200 breaststroke events. It won’t be easy for the 30-year-old, despite the overall weakness of American breaststrokers this year.

Eric Shanteau, who missed the finals of the 2008 Olympics in the 200 breaststroke, is still the best in the event, and he won’t give up that spot easily.

Few swimmers will be rested for this meet, with Trials such a long way off, but it should be exciting to see which American swimmers step up when they’re swimming next to the person challenging them for a coveted spot on the US Olympic team.

Full psych sheet is available here.

Watch the 2012 Austin Grand Prix live at USASwimming.org Friday through Sunday. Timeline available here.

Eric Shanteau set an American record in the 200-meter breaststroke. (Darron Cummings, AP)

Locals’ Results

U.S. Swimming Championships Archives

INDIANAPOLIS, July 11 — A year ago at this time, Eric Shanteau fretted and trained, trained and fretted. He had testicular cancer diagnosed days before the Olympic trials, qualified for the team in the 200-meter breaststroke, then put off the necessary surgery to remove his cancerous testicle until after the Summer Games.

When it was all over — the Olympics, the surgery, the panic and preparation — Shanteau felt lost. He did not know what to do next. And his worries were far from over.

So he got back in the pool. As many of his Olympic teammates vacationed, Shanteau, 25, worked himself into the best shape of his life. And it’s paid off in a way he could never have imagined.

Shanteau capped a great day, an excellent week and a stunning year Saturday night with a runaway victory in the 200 breast in 2 minutes 08.01 seconds. The dominant performance gave Shanteau his first U.S. title and his second American record of the day in the event.

It also gave him his fourth berth on the U.S. team that will compete at the late-July world championships in Rome.

“My situation has been pretty [lousy] — for the past two years,” Shanteau said. “I kind of have light at the end of the tunnel now. There’s some bright spots shining through now, which is nice. I’ve been through a lot of hard spots.”

Added Shanteau: “I’m obviously very, very happy.”

Neither of Saturday’s races was even close. In the evening’s race, Shanteau topped second-place finisher Adam Klein by more than two seconds; Klein touched the wall in 2:10.39, as Shanteau already was celebrating. Curtis Lovelace finished third in 2:10.96.

“When I was behind those blocks,” Shanteau said. “I was probably more relaxed than I’ve ever been.”

In his morning preliminary heat, Shanteau had been urged on by announcer Sam Kendricks, who riled a sleepy crowd at the Indiana University natatorium into a bit of a frenzy. He touched the wall in 2:08.43 seconds, going under Brendan Hansen’s 2006 American mark of 2:08.50.

That mark had stood as the world record until June, when Japan’s Kosuke Kitajima swam a 2:07.51 in Tokyo.

“Obviously, I was shooting for it, but not necessarily this morning,” said Shanteau, who has competed this week in Arena’s acclaimed new X-Glide suit. “It’s kind of funny that the first American record I would break comes in a preliminary swim.”

Shanteau has qualified for the world championships in three events, the 100 and 200 breast and 200 individual medley, and he also will have the option of swimming in the 50 breast in Rome — though Shanteau said competing in four individual events might be too taxing.

“It’s a lot,” Shanteau said. “People see Michael [Phelps] doing 50 million events. We’re not all like Michael.”

For the moment, it’s not so bad to be Eric Shanteau. Shanteau’s parents are here watching, another bonus for the Georgia native. His father, Rick, found out he had terminal lung cancer about a year before Shanteau received his diagnosis. But unlike his son, Rick Shanteau did not have the option of surgery, or the hope of being cured.

“He’s here, two years after being diagnosed,” Shanteau said. “I think for the situation he’s in, and what he was given, you can’t ask for anything more.

“It’s everything,” Shanteau also said. “All aspects of my life are going very well right now.”

A competitive turnaround, Shanteau said, came at the short-course U.S. championships in Atlanta last December. Few Olympians bothered to attend that meet, but Shanteau had been undergoing heavy workouts and weight training at his training home in Austin for two months.

Largely unnoticed, he posted personal-best times in several events. He could not, he said, believe it.

It was then that Shanteau directed his training toward improvement rather than merely escape. For a while, he sought distraction; he hadn’t bothered chasing concrete goals. But as time went on, and the blood tests he must take for the rest of his life continued coming up negative, he realized he could still swim — and, perhaps, better than he had before the cancer.

“I definitely surprised myself at the short-course nationals in December when I went all best times,” he said. “That was kind of like the start of things. ….. That was really like the turning point of my career.”

There is more, Shanteau hopes. He wants the world record. He wants a strong performance at the July 26-Aug. 2 world championships, a medal or two. At the Olympics last year, he finished 10th.

“It’s different this year,” Shanteau said. “I don’t have a gorilla on my back going into the world championships. ….. In the last year, I’ve learned a lot about myself, what I’m capable of, and I think I got to prove that to myself this week.”

Eric Shanteau, left, shown here with Ryan Lochte, set an American record in the 200-meter breaststroke this morning. (Darron Cummings, Associated Press)

INDIANAPOLIS, July 11 — The way he’s been swimming in recent months, Eric Shanteau figured he would eventually take down the American record in the 200-meter breaststroke.

But at just past 10 a.m. Saturday in a preliminary heat?

“That,” Shanteau said, “was definitely a surprise.”

Urged on by announcer Sam Kendricks, who riled a sleepy crowd at the Indiana University natatorium into a bit of a frenzy, Shanteau blazed through the first 100 in 1 minute, 01.90 seconds, and, sensing something special was going on, swam hard to the wall.

He finished in 2:08.43 seconds, going under Brendan Hansen’s 2006 mark of 2:08.50. That mark had stood as the world record until June, when Japan’s Kosuke Kitajima swam a 2:07.51 in Tokyo.

“Obviously, I was shooting for it, but not necessarily this morning,” Shanteau said. “It’s kind of funny that the first American record I would break comes in a preliminary swim.”

Shanteau, 25, who trains in Austin, Tex., can hardly believe how well this summer has gone.  Shanteau had surgery to remove a cancerous testicle shortly after the Summer Games in Beijing; he got back in the water to escape the stress of his fight with cancer. As many fellow Olympians vacationed and rested, Shanteau worked.

“I think I’ve made the best out of my situation,” Shanteau said. “My situation has been pretty s—— for the past two years. There’s definitely light at the end of the tunnel.”

Now, cancer-free and bulked up from hours in the weight room, Shanteau has qualified for the world championships in Rome in two events, the 100 breast and 200 individual medley, and he looks ready to add a third in the 200 breast final Saturday night.

He will also have the option of swimming in the 50 breast in Rome, though Shanteau said swimming four individual events might be too taxing.

“It’s a lot,” Shanteau said. “People see Michael [Phelps] doing 50 million events. We’re not all like Michael.”

For the moment, it’s great to be Eric Shanteau.

Shanteau’s parents are here watching, another bonus for the Georgia native. His father, Rick, found out he had terminal lung cancer about a year before Shanteau received his diagnosis. But unlike his son, Rick Shanteau did not have the option of surgery, or the hope of being cured.

“He’s here, two years after being diagnosed,” Shanteau said. “I think for the situation he’s in, and what he was given, you can’t ask for anything more.

“It’s everything,” Shanteau also said. “All aspects of my life are going very well right now.”

Phelps Trains, Improves

Michael Phelps worked out lightly Saturday morning, swimming about 4,000 yards. Phelps, who dropped out of the men’s 100 free with neck soreness, appeared to be in good shape.

“He said it’s not 100 percent, but it’s probably 90 percent,” his coach Bob Bowman said.

Top Qualifiers

Women’s 100 free: Dana Vollmer, 54.21; Amanda Weir, 54.25; Christine Magnuson, 54.45; Lacey Nymeyer, 54.52; Caitlin Geary, 54.60; Julia Smit, 54.91; Kara Lynn Joyce, 54.98; Kate Dwelley, 55.06

Women’s 200 breast: Keri Hehn, 2:26.05; Rebecca Soni, 2:26.73; Elizabeth Tinnon, 2:27.09; Ashley Wanland, 2:27.55; Sara Nicponski, 2:27.56; Megan Jendrick, 2:27.80; Elizabeth Smith, 2:28.50; Justine Mueller, 2:28.54

Men’s 200 breast: Eric Shanteau, 2:08.43; George Klein, 2:11.25; Scott Spann, 2:12.33; Robert Lovelace, 2:12.43; Jack Brown, 2:13.68; Bart Steninger, 2:14.22; Aaron Opell, 2:16.03; Nolan Koon, 2:16.03

Men’s 200 back: Tyler Clary, 1:55.37; Aaron Peirsol, 1:55.78; Ryan Lochte, 1:55.99; Matt Grevers, 1:57.04; Rexford Tullius, 1:57.28; David Russell, 1:58.00; Nick Thomas, 1:58.09; Timothy Johnson, 1:59.47

LOCAL NOTES: North Baltimore Aquatic Club’s Nick Thoman, 23, posted the seventh-fastest qualifying time in the 200 back heats; Austin Surhoff, 18, of NBAC qualified for Saturday night’s B final in 2:02.14; Virginia’s Daniel Johnson, 21, (2:04.14) and Rockville-Montgomery’s Andrew Relihan, 19, (2:04.28) made the C final. Rockville-Montgomery’s Eric Friedland, 19, made the C final in the 200 breast in 2:19.31; he will be joined by John Azar, 21, of the University of Virginia, who finished in 2:20.00. Katherine Radloff of the Arlington Aquatic Club posted the 18th best time in the 100 free heats (56.06) earning a spot in the C final. ]]> http://reachforthewall.com/2009/07/11/shanteau-gets-u-s-record-in-morning-swim/feed/ 0 http://reachforthewall.com/2009/07/07/ziegler-withdraws-from-400-due-to-illness/ http://reachforthewall.com/2009/07/07/ziegler-withdraws-from-400-due-to-illness/#comments Tue, 07 Jul 2009 18:23:07 +0000 Amy Shipley http://reachforthewall.com/?p=1028

Kate Ziegler, shown here after winning the women's 400-meter freestyle U.S. Nationals in 2007 will skip the event this year due to the flu. She ruled out competing in Wednesday’s 200 freestyle and said she had only faint hopes of being ready for Friday’s heats of the 800. (Darron Cummings, Associated Press)

Locals Results Chart

INDIANAPOLIS, July 7 — A debilitating bout with the flu caused Great Falls native Kate Ziegler to pull out of the 400-meter freestyle competition on the first day of the  swimming national championships Tuesday morning, and might have prematurely ended her hopes of defending her 800 free title at this year’s world championships in Rome.

Ziegler, who developed flu-like symptoms last Friday with a fever that peaked at 103 degrees, was so hobbled she did not attempt to travel here to compete, she said by phone from her parents’ home.

Ziegler, 21, ruled out competing in Wednesday’s 200 freestyle and said she had only faint hopes of being ready for Friday’s heats in the 800, in which she is the reigning world champion and third-fastest woman ever.

“I will leave the option open to go — at least I might try — but I also feel I have to be at least somewhat realistic,” Ziegler said. “Maybe it wasn’t my time this time around.”

This event serves as the qualifying event for the July 26-Aug..2 world championships in Rome. Though Ziegler is the reigning world champion in the 800 and 1,500 free — which won’t be contested in Rome — she cannot compete for the United States if she doesn’t make the team here this week.

She also is the third-fastest American woman ever in the 400.

Ziegler said a number of swimmers  for the Fish, the McLean-based club she trains with, had been ill, and that several teammates recently had swine flu diagnosed. She visited her doctor as soon as symptoms emerged Friday, she said, and was told she had “some version of the flu.”

“Four boys on my team had swine flu,” Ziegler said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if I ended up getting it.”

Ziegler said she spent the weekend mostly in bed with a fever, chills, sore throat and severe headaches. She coughed repeatedly and spoke in a hoarse voice as she answered questions Tuesday afternoon. She took three days off from practice before attempting to swim a bit Monday. Then, she said, she managed only about 1,000 meters of easy stroking.

“It’s never easy,” Ziegler said. “I didn’t know what to expect at this meet, but I still wanted to go and compete.”

It has been an up-and-down year for Ziegler, who took six months off after her performance in last year’s Olympic Games fell short of expectations. Though she entered the Games having won four world titles, she said, she felt burned out even before she arrived. She finished 10th in the 800 and 14th in the 400.

She considered retiring after Beijing, but decided instead to ease back to training to ensure she did not wear herself down again. She competed in just one event this summer, a meet in Mission Viejo, Calif., in which she swam well below her personal bests in several events.

The illness hit unexpectedly Friday morning.

“I would much rather it happen now than in the next couple of years when I am training 100 percent, raring to go and expecting big things,” she said.

Shanteau rolls on: Olympian Eric Shanteau continued his tear in the breaststroke, breaking the one-minute barrier in his morning heat of the 100 breast while setting his third personal best of the year.

Shanteau touched the wall in 59.89 seconds, making him the second-fastest U.S. man in the event ever behind Brendan Hansen (59.13). Shanteau, who has been testing out various suits this summer, wore another new one: the Arena X-Glide, a suit worn during many recent record-setting performances around the globe.

Shanteau, who underwent surgery for testicular cancer after last summer’s Olympics, has been one of the strongest U.S. performers this season in the breaststroke events — which, internationally, have seen major drops in times as competitors don various versions of the latest high-tech suits.

Shanteau said he picked up his suit Monday.

“It’s a little bit of everything,” Shanteau said. “Obviously, the suit is going to help out. But I think regardless of whether I was in this suit or another suit, I would still be under a minute this week.”

Lochte misses rival: Ryan Lochte, a six-time Olympic medal winner, doesn’t like the fact he is the overriding favorite in the 400 individual medley without Michael Phelps — who has taken a break from the event.

“I love racing him,” said Lochte, who finished second (4:15.63) behind Tyler Clary (4:11.29) in Tuesday’s heats. “I kind of gave [Phelps] some crap about it, not swimming it anymore.

“I called him wussy.”

Phelps was unavailable to comment.

Pelton advances in 200IM: North Baltimore Aquatic Club up-and-comer Elizabeth Pelton, 15, posted the fourth-best time in closely contested heats of what should be a fiercely competitive 200 individual medley final.

Pelton’s finish in 2:11.75 put her behind Julia Smit (2:10.54), Elizabeth Beisel (2:11.65) and Ariana Kukors (2:11.68). She topped North Dakota swimming sensation Dagny Knutson (2:11.87), who confessed to major butterflies after having been the subject of recent profiles in The Post, Sports Illustrated and the New York Times.

“This is a new experience for me,” Knutson, 17, said. “Other than [Olympic] trials, this is the next biggest thing.”

No other locals advanced to the final round. NBAC’s Andrea Staub (2:20.19) finished 53rd of 71 competitors. University of Virginia’s Katherine McDonnell (2:22.30) was 62nd and Elizabeth Shaw (2:24.71), 68th. Ashley Danner of the George Mason swim team finished 66th (2:18.18).

Lee skips 200IM for 100 Fly: NBAC’s Felicia Lee, 17, skipped the 200 individual medley to focus on the 100 butterfly first round and advanced to the final, finishing sixth in 58.79 seconds. No other locals advanced; NOVA of Virginia’s Katherine Sieben was 19th (1:00.61), NBAC’s Christie Raleigh finished 21st (1:00.94), and Virginia’s Lauren Smart (1:01.39) and Elizabeth Shaw (1:01.54) touched the wall in 36th and 39th places, respectively. Curl-Burke’s Suzanne Schwee finished in 1:02.95, 49th-best in the field of 55.

Sutton posts sixth best in 400 Free: Chloe Sutton, who trained for two years with the McLean-based The Fish, finished sixth in the 400 free, advancing to the final in 4:12.01. NBAC’s Kailey Morris just missed the finals cut, finishing ninth in 4:13.29. NBAC’s Kelly Offutt finished 43rd in 4:22.00; Curl-Burke’s Kristen Beales was 45th in 4:22.91; and Meredith Budner finished 46th in 4:23.02.

Local notes: In the men’s 100 breast, Rockville-Montgomery’s Eric Friedland finished in 1:03.20 for 17th best and George Mason’s Eric Knight finished in 1:04.96, 28th among 37 competitors.

NBAC’s Brennan Morris narrowly missed qualifying in the men’s 400 individual medley, finishing 10th in a time of 4:23.99. Fellow NBAC swimmers Bryan Offutt (4:27.53) and Austin Surhoff (4:28.70) landed in 18th and 20th places, respectively; Virginia’s Timothy Hayes finished 44th in 4:35.68; Rockville-Montgomery’s Andrew Relihan touched the wall in 4:38.01 for 47th overall; and Erik Hunter of Navy finished 50th of 51 entrants in 4:53.88. Curl-Burke’s Andrew Brake did not compete.

In the men’s 400 free, NBAC’s Andrew Cosgarea finished 27th in 3:57.73; George Mason’s Thomas Koucheravy finished 35th in 3:59.63; and The Fish’s Matthew Benecki finished 56th of 57 swimmers in 4:06.70. Navy’s Hunter was last in 4:14.19.