Eric Shanteau

Eric Lee Shanteau American former competition swimmer who won two gold medals as a member of winning United States relay teams at the World Championships. He was a member of the 2008 and 2012 U.S. Olympic teams, and earned a gold medal as a member of the winning U.S. team in the 4×100-meter medley relay at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Shanteau formerly held the 4×100-meter medley relay world record as a member of the U.S. team that competed at the 2009 FINA World Championship in Rome.

Shanteau was born in Snellville, Georgia. He attended Parkview High School in Lilburn, Georgia, where he became a national swimming champion while maintaining a perfect 4.0 grade point average (GPA).

Shanteau attended Auburn University, where he was an 11-time All-American for the Auburn Tigers swimming and diving team. At the 2003 World University Games, Shanteau won the silver medal in the 400-meter individual medley. At the 2005 World University Games, Shanteau won gold in both the 200-meter and 400-meter individual medley, making him the first American to sweep both events.

At the 2004 United States Olympic Trials in Long Beach, California, Shanteau placed third in the 200-meter and 400-meter individual medley events, just missing a place on the Olympic roster in both events. Shanteau also placed eleventh in the 200-meter breaststroke.

On July 3, 2008, Shanteau placed second in the 200-meter breaststroke at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials, guaranteeing himself a spot on the team set to compete in Beijing, China. The week before, Shanteau was informed that he had testicular cancer, but chose to compete in the meet regardless. He competed in the 200-meter breaststroke at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, where, despite missing the finals by thirteen one-hundredths (0.13) of a second, he posted a personal best time. After returning to the United States, he underwent surgery to remove the cancerous testicle. Shanteau is now in remission and active in cancer awareness.