Eric Shanteau's Olympic swimming competition is over. Now, he's ready for a much bigger fight.
Cancer. The American swam a personal-best time in Wednesday's semifinals of the 200-meter breaststroke his only event in Beijing but it wasn't fast enough to advance to Thursday's final.
Shanteau touched in 2 minutes, 10.10 seconds, placing him 10th. He was 0.13 seconds out of the eighth and last qualifying spot for the four-lap race.
"It's my best time, so I'm happy about that, but obviously it's frustrating that I'm not going to be in the final," he said. "I'm not going to let it weigh me down too much because I've got a much bigger battle to take care of in about two weeks.
" That's when the 24-year-old swimmer will return to Atlanta for surgery on the testicular cancer he was diagnosed with a few weeks before last month's U.S. trials. Defying conventional medical opinions, Shanteau decided to put off surgery to compete in the Olympics, but only after being checked repeatedly to make sure the cancer wasn't spreading and threatening his chances of a full recovery.
"It was absolutely worth it," he said. "I am so happy I came here and did this.
It's been an amazing experience, it's everything I hoped it would be. Now I've got to take care of my life.
" Since going public with his diagnosis, Shanteau has heard from cancer survivors around the world who are rooting him on. The disease had already hit home for Shanteau, whose father Rick is battling stage 4 lung cancer.
The elder Shanteau's cancer has slowed, although he has been put back on chemotherapy after stopping for a few months. "Eric has a better understanding of what I have been through in the last year," Rick Shanteau said in an e-mail.
The father and his youngest son bonded further when Eric called home with his own devastating news. "I need to talk to you about a health issue," Eric told his father before pausing for several seconds.
He then told his dad the diagnosis. "Are you sure?" Rick Shanteau said.
His son confirmed the news, explaining that he had already spoken to several experts. "I told him you can look at it one of two ways," Rick said.
"You have cancer or cancer has you." Clearly, Shanteau took a proactive approach, choosing to pursue his longtime goal of competing in the Olympics.
At the 2004 trials, he finished third in both the 200 freestyle and 400 individual medley. Only the top two make the team.
"He's always had a focus," his father said. "He didn't want a repeat of that.
" Shanteau plans to spend another few days at the games, then return to his training base in Austin, Texas, before heading home to "get this crap out of me." "Now I've got a much bigger battle and I know I'm going to win that one," he said.
Shanteau will apply the laser-like focus he's had on swimming the last four years to his upcoming surgery and recovery. "That thing stands no chance," he said.
"It's going to get out of me, I'm going to beat it. I'm going to attack it the same way I did swimming.
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