Eric Shanteau Takes Two on Second Night of 2010 Missouri Grand Prix Swim Meet

USA Swimming National Teamer and 2008 Olympian Eric Shanteau won two events Saturday on the second night of the 2010 Missouri Grand Prix Swim Meet. Shanteau took the men's 200m IM with a time of 1:59.75, then returned to the pool a short time later to win the 200m breaststroke in 2:11.17. "To do the times I did tonight bodes really well for the rest of the summer," Shanteau said. "I'm really happy with how things have gone."

Shanteau took control of the 200m IM at the 150 meter mark and held off the rest of the field down the stretch for the win. In the 200m breast, he out-touched Olympic champion Kosuke Kitajima of Japan, reeling in the former world record-holder in the last 50 meters and winning by a margin of 16-hundredths.

Shanteau and Kitajima also faced off in the 100m breast on Friday, with Kitajima taking that match-up by four-tenths of a second. "He brings a whole new intensity to racing," Shanteau said of Kitajima. "He's a racer. You can't find anyone who's more of a clutch swimmer than he is."

In addition to Shanteau, a number of other U.S. National Teamers took gold on Saturday at the Mizzou Aquatics Center, including Erika Erndl (Naples, Fla./Swim Florida) in the women's 200m IM (2:17.64), Amanda Weir (Lawrenceville, Ga./Swim Atlanta) in the women's 50m freestyle (25.64), Nick Thoman (Cincinnati, Ohio/SwimMac Carolina) in the men's 100m backstroke (54.40) and Chloe Sutton (Mission Viejo, Calif./Mission Viejo Nadadores) in the women's 400m free.

Sutton's win was her second of the meet after taking the 200m free Friday. She's won three medals overall this weekend, including a bronze in the 400m IM Friday.

Also winning their second events of the meet Saturday were Canadian Olympians Annamay Pierse and Brent Hayden, and Tunisian Olympian Ous Mellouli. Pierse, the world record-holder in the women's 200m breast, won that event tonight in 2:28.51. Hayden won the men's 50m free in 22.56, while Mellouli won the men's 400m free in 3:53.11.

Other U.S. National Team medalists Saturday included Ryan Lochte (Daytona Beach, Fla./Daytona Beach Swimming) with a silver in the men's 100m back (54.40) and David Russell (Wellesley, Mass./Cal Aquatics) with a bronze in the men's 100m back (55.32). Therese Svendsen of Southern Methodist University won gold in the women's 100m back (1:02.84).

The Missouri Grand Prix continues Sunday with prelims and finals of the men's and women's 200m back, 100m free and 200m butterfly. Timed finals of the women's 800m free, the men's 1500m free and the men's and women's 400 free relay will also be conducted Sunday.

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USA Swimming Grand Prix Meets

The Grand Prix Series serves as an opportunity for swimmers to race against some of the best competition in the country, as they continue their preparation for the 2010 ConocoPhillips National Championships and the 2010 Pan Pacific Championships, both of which will take place in Irvine, Calif. Other stops in the Grand Prix series include: Austin, Texas; Columbus, Ohio; Charlotte, N.C.; Santa Clara, Calif.; and Los Angeles.