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US Big Guns Line Up For Euro Select Duel
Oct 28, 2009 - Craig Lord
More on the duel in the pool a little later in the day - but the US has confirmed a very strong squad for the clash on december 18-19 with a European select of Brits, Italians and Germans in Manchester. Here is the release:
Colorado Springs: Thirty-six top American swimmers, including 17 Olympians, will battle against a squad of European swimmers at the 2009 Mutual of Omaha/British Gas Duel in the Pool in Manchester, England December 18-19. The event, which will be broadcast on NBC on December 27 from 2-4 p.m. ET, will star Olympic gold medalists Michael Phelps (Baltimore, Md.), Rebecca Soni (Plainsboro, N.J.), Ryan Lochte (Daytona Beach, Fla.), and Aaron Peirsol (Irvine, Calif.).
The bi-annual Duel in the Pool is a made-for-TV event, designed to showcase the sport’s most exciting swimmers. This year’s Duel takes on a new format with Team USA facing a team comprised of the top swimmers from Great Britain, Germany and Italy. The event will be held at the Manchester Aquatic Center.
Swimmers will be awarded for world-records and wins with world records commanding up to a $15,000 bonus and gold medals commanding $1,000.
In addition to Phelps, Soni, Lochte and Peirsol, the U.S. team will intermix Olympic medalists Matt Grevers (Lake Forest, Ill.), Peter Vanderkaay (Rochester, Mich.), Katie Hoff (Towson, Md.) and Margaret Hoelzer (Huntsville, Ala.) with rising stars such as Ariana Kukors (Auburn, Wash.), Tyler Clary (Riverside, Calif.), and Dagny Knutson (Minot, N.D.). The men’s head coach for the Duel in the Pool will be Frank Busch while the women will be led by 2008 Women’s Olympic Coach Jack Bauerle.
The U.S. team is comprised of the fastest swimmers selected from four meets in 2009 - the ConocoPhillips USA Swimming National Championships, Word University Games, U.S. Open and FINA World Championships. The European Select Team will be comprised of up to 18 men and 18 women from Great Britain, Germany and Italy, with each country sending a team of six men and six women.
The meet format will be short course meters. This is the fourth Mutual of Omaha Duel in the Pool in the history of USA Swimming. Past Duels were held in 2003, 2005 and 2007 and pit all-star teams from the U.S. and Australia against each other. The U.S. is 3-0 in the history of the Mutual of Omaha Duel in the Pool. For more information about this year’s Duel, visit www.duelinthepool.com. [Tickets can be bought there too].
Team USA:
Men
Women
