U.S. Olympic Swim Team Names Team Captains

By Chris Price
Copyright 2008 TexSport Publications

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO (July 30, 2008) The members of the USA Olympic Swim Team have selected six former Olympics as their team captains for the upcoming Olympic games in Beijing.

Five-time Olympian Dara Torres (Los Angeles, Calif.), four-time Olympian Amanda Beard (Irvine, Calif.) and two-time Olympian and world record-holder Natalie Coughlin (Vallejo, Calif.) were selected as the women’s team captains for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Swim Team. On the men’s side, three-time Olympians Erik Vendt (North Easton, Mass.) and Jason Lezak (Irvine, Calif.), and two-time Olympian and world record-holder Brendan Hansen (Havertown, Pa.) were selected as captains. Team captains were selected by a team vote at the team’s domestic training camp in Palo Alto, Calif., last week.

The Olympic pool competition begins Aug. 9 and runs through Aug. 17 at the Beijing National Aquatic Center. Then, on Aug. 20 and 21, the women’s and men’s 10K Olympic marathon swim will make its Olympic debut at the Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park in Beijing, China.