The meet will also feature three 2008 U.S. Paralympic hopefuls including Sullivan Award winner Jessica Long (Baltimore, Md.), Minnesota native Anna Eames (Golden Valley, Minn.), and U.S. Army veteran Melissa Stockwell (Minneapolis, Minn.).
The Toyota Grand Prix Series exists in order to provide U.S. National Team and other elite swimmers with the opportunity to compete at a high level and prepare for the championship period of the season. There are seven stops total on the 2007-08 calendar. Top U.S. athletes will be preparing for three major upcoming meets including the ConocoPhillips Short Course National Championships (Nov. 29-Dec. 1), FINA Short Course World Championships (April 9-13) and Olympic Team Trials - Swimming (June 29-July 6, 2008).
- Setting her sights on Beijing - Kate Ziegler: Earlier this year, Katie Ziegler (Great Falls, Va.) broke the longest-standing swimming world record when she shattered Janet Evans' world record in the 1500m free. Ziegler, who also won two gold medals at the 2007 World Championships, has set her sights on making her first Olympic team in '08.
- The Comeback Kid - Eric Vendt: Following his brief retirement after the 2004 Olympic Games, 2004 Olympian Erik Vendt (North Easton, Mass.) returned to the pool in 2006, training under Bob Bowman at Club Wolverine. As the 2006 USA Swimming Perseverance Award recipient continues to make a play for the 2008 Olympics, he has continued to drop time in both the 800m and 1500m freestyle events. In July of this year, Vendt swam two personal best times to take home national titles in both events at the 2007 ConocoPhillips USA Swimming National Championships.
- Toyota's Engines of Change with Kaitlin Sandeno: When she was 12 years old, Olympic gold medalist Kaitlin Sandeno (Lake Forest, Calif.) was diagnosed with asthma. Despite severe attacks, she continued training and competing and with new medication and more active care, Kaitlin's symptoms improved and so did her swimming. Now, as an "Engine of Change" for corporate sponsor Toyota, Kaitlin gives hope to others with asthma by working to raise funds and building awareness about the dangers of asthma and how to live with them.
- Sullivan Award Winner swims in Minnesota: Earlier this year, Jessica Long (Baltimore, Md.) became the first Paralympic athlete to win the AAU James E. Sullivan Award, presented to the USA's best amateur athlete. Long, 15, won the award after a spectacular year in 2006, highlighted by her performance at the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Swimming World Championships in Durban, South Africa, in December, where she won nine gold medals and set five world records. Long has also been honored as the U.S. Olympic Committee's 2006 Paralympian of the Year and Swimming World Magazine's 2006 Disabled Swimmer of the Year.
About USA Swimming: As the National Governing Body for competitive swimming in the United States, USA Swimming formulates the rules, implements policies and procedures, conducts national championships, disseminates safety and sports medicine information and selects athletes to represent the United States in international competition. For more information, visit USA Swimming on-line.
