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The official rosters were announced today for the 2009 Mutual of Omaha/British Gas Duel in the Pool.

This is the 4th Duel in the Pool that USA swimming has participated in. The meets are held in odd numbered years, and USA-Swimming defeated Australia in each of the previous 3 matchups. This year, the meet will pit the best swimmers from the U.S. against a European All-star team made up of the best swimmers from Great Britain, Italy, and Germany. The host for this year’s meet is the Manchester Aquatics Centre in Manchester, England. The meet will take place from December 18-19, and a condensed, 2-hour broadcast of the event will be played on NBC on December 27th at 2 P.M. Eastern Time.

“The Mutual of Omaha Duel in the Pool is an event that we are extremely proud of,” said Chuck Wielgus, executive director for USA Swimming. “This event allows us to bring the excitement of international swimming - which was such a runaway hit during the Olympics – back into the homes of millions of American viewers.”

This event draws out the true big hitters in international swimming. Notable members of team USA include Olympic Gold Medalists Ryan Lochte, Aaron Piersol, Rebecca Soni, and All-Universe swimming star Michael Phelps. Team USA also includes Jessica Hardy, who has been on a warpath of taking down World Records since returning from a 1-year ban for taking the banned stimulant Clenbuterol. This meet will be the first time that Phelps has swum competitively in Britain.

Team Europe will also bring a highly decorated contingent. Among the 12 participants from the United Kingdom are stars Liam Tancock (2009 World Champion in the men’s 50m backstroke), Gemma Spoforth (2009 World Champion in the women’s 100m backstroke), and Becky Adlington. Italy, which will have the largest of the European squads, will contribute 2 World Record holders in Federica Pellegrini and Alessia Filippi. Germany will send 8 swimmers, including World Record holder Steffen Deibler, who holds the global mark in the 50 SCM butterfly.

The E-Stars, as the European team will be known, will be missing 2 very notable German swimmers. Paul Biedermann and Britta Steffen, who each have broken multiple World Records in the past 6 months, are both skipping the Duel in the Pool for undisclosed reasons. Biedermann is most famously remembered as the man who broke Phelps' streak of victories at international meets. Biedermann beat Phelps in the 200m freestyle at the 2009 World Championships in Rome.

The meet will also be the last major meet where the polyurethane body suits that have lead to a complete rewriting of the record books will be allowed. The ban has already gone into effect in the United States, and USA-Swimming had hoped that the Duel in the Pool would use the new rules. While the original plan was to use 2010-legal suits, meet organized succumbed to pressure from Italian suit maker Jaked, producer of the infamous Jaked01, who has not yet begun production on a suit that meets the new regulations.

Phelps, who has been an outspoken critic of the new suits, has said that he will race in just a jammer that will comply with the new rules. The rules take effect for FINA sponsored meets on January 1st, 2010. Other American stars, including Katie Hoff, have also said that they will forego the polyurethane suits.

The meet will be short course (25 meters), and will be finals only. There will be 13 men’s and 13 women’s individual events, plus two relays for each.

www.duelinthepool.com

Team USA, Club, Coach

Men
Nathan Adrian, California Aquatics, Dave Durden
Mike Alexandrov, Tucson FORD Aquatics, Frank Busch
Jack Brown, Tucson FORD Aquatics, Frank Busch
Tyler Clary, Club Wolverine/University of Michigan, Mike Bottom/ Jon Urbanchek
Mark Gangloff, SwimMAC/Auburn Aquatics, David Marsh/ Brett Hawke
Matt Grevers, Tucson FORD Aquatics, Frank Busch
Michael Klueh, Longhorn Aquatics, Eddie Reese
Chad La Tourette, Mission Viejo/Stanford Swimming, Bill Rose/ Skip Kenney
Ryan Lochte, Gator Swim Club/Daytona Beach, Gregg Troy/Steve Lochte
Sean Mahoney, California Aquatics, Dave Durden
Tyler McGill, Auburn Aquatics/ Auburn University, Brett Hawke
Aaron Peirsol, Longhorn Aquatics, Eddie Reese
Michael Phelps, North Baltimore Aquatic Club, Bob Bowman
Kevin Swander, Club Paradise/Indiana University, Pam Swander
Nick Thoman, SwimMAC, David Marsh
Alex Vanderkaay, Club Wolverine, Mike Bottom/Jon Urbanchek
Peter Vanderkaay, Club Wolverine, Jon Urbanchek
Garrett Weber-Gale, Longhorn Aquatics, Eddie Reese

Women
Elizabeth Beisel, Bluefish Swim Club, Chuck Batchelor
Mary DeScenza Mohler, Athens Bulldogs, Jack Bauerle
Missy Franklin, Colorado Stars, Todd Schmitz
Katy Freeman, Santa Barbara Aquatics Club, Gregg Wilson
Jessica Hardy, Trojan Swim Club, Dave Salo
Margaret Hoelzer, FAST Swim Team, Sean Hutchison
Katie Hoff, FAST Swim Team, Sean Hutchison
Ariana Kukors, FAST Swim Team, Sean Hutchison
Dagny Knutson, A.S.K. Swim, Kathy Aspaas
Christine Magnuson, Tucson FORD Aquatics, Frank Busch
Amber McDermott, Longhorn Aquatics, Doug Rusk
Hayley McGregory, Longhorn Aquatics, Doug Rusk
Elizabeth Pelton, North Baltimore Aquatic Club, Bob Bowman
Allison Schmitt, University of Georgia/ Club Wolverine, Jack Bauerle
Julia Smit, Stanford Swimming, Lea Maurer
Rebecca Soni, Trojan Swim Club, Dave Salo
Dana Vollmer, California Aquatics, Teri McKeever
Amanda Weir, Swim Atlanta, Chris Davis

E-Stars European All-Star Squad, Club

David Davies, British Gas ITC Loughborough
James Goddard, British Gas ITC Stockport
Thomas Haffield, City of Cardiff
Michael Rock, British Gas ITC Stockport
Liam Tancock, British Gas ITC Loughborough
Christopher Walker-Hebborn, British Gas ITC Bath
Robbie Renwick, City of Glasgow

Rebecca Adlington, Nova Centurion
Francesca Halsall, British Gas ITC Loughborough
Joanne Jackson, British Gas ITC Loughborough
Hannah Miley, Garioch
Elizabeth Simmonds, British Gas ITC Loughborough
Gemma Spofforth, Portsmouth Northsea/University of Florida
Caitlin McClatchey, British Gas ITC Loughborough

Fedrico Colbertaldo, GS Fiamme Azzurre / Montebelluna Nuoto
Christian Galenda, Fiamme Gialle / Canottieri Aniene
Edoardo Giorgetti, Canottieri Aniene
Filippo Magnini, Larus Nuoto
Luca Marin, Ispra Nuoto
Joseph Davide Natullo, Can Napoli
Fabio Scozzoli, Imolanuotoromagna - GS Esercito

Ilaria Bianchi, Imolanuoto Asd
Chiara Boggiatto, Nuoto Livorno
Alessia Filippi, Aurelia Nuoto
Caterina Giacchetti, Canottieri Aniene
Federica Pellegrini, Canottieri Aniene
Ilaria Scarcella, Nuotatori Rivarolesi
Francesca Segat, Fiamme Gialle / Ispra Nuoto

Steffen Deibler, TG Biberach
Hendrik Feldwehr, SG Essen
Marco Koch, DSW 12 Darmstadt
Benjamin Starke, SG Neukölln

Annika Melhorn, SG ACT/Baunatal
Caroline Ruhnau, SG Essen
Daniela Schreiber, SV Halle
Daniela Samulski, SG Essen