Event Progressions, cont. - USA Swimming

2011-12 Santa Clara Grand Prix
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, May 24, 2012
Contact: Karen Linhart (719-866-3588 / klinhart@usaswimming.org)
Coughlin, Hardy and Vollmer to Compete at Santa Clara Grand Prix
International Elite to meet members of U.S. National Team in Santa Clara, Calif., May 31-June 3
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Olympic medalists Natalie Coughlin (Vallejo, Calif.), Dana Vollmer (Granbury, Texas.)
and Jessica Hardy (Long Beach, Calif.) will headline the talented group of swimmers competing at the Santa Clara Grand
Prix on May 31 – June 3. The meet is the seventh and final stop of the 2011-2012 USA Swimming Grand Prix Series and
will take place at the George F. Haines International Swim Center in Santa Clara, Calif.
Additional National Team Members who will compete in Santa Clara include Caitlin Leverenz (Tucson, Ariz.), Madison
Kennedy (Avon, Conn.), Mike Alexandrov (Champaign, Ill.), Kim Vandenberg (Moraga, Calif.), Emily Brunemann
(Crescent Springs, Ky.) and Tyler Clary (Riverside, Calif.). Other American swimmers set to compete in Santa Clara include
Olympian Cullen Jones and 2000 Olympic gold medalist Anthony Ervin.
Promising talent from other countries will also compete in Santa Clara. Japan’s Kosuke Kitajima will test his skill as he
prepares for London this summer. Other competitors from Japan include Takuro Fujii and Takeshi Matsuda. Some of the most
talented swimmers from Australia including Libby Trickett, Kenrick Monk, Kylie Palmer, Stephanie Rice and Sarah Katsoulis
will also travel to Santa Clara. Other international competitors include South Africa’s Sebastien Rousseau, Canada’s Ryan
Cochrane and Korea’s Taehwan Park.
Timed finals on Thursday will begin at 4 p.m. PT. Prelims in Santa Clara will start at 9 a.m. PT on Friday through Sunday, with
finals beginning at 5 p.m. PT. Tickets may be purchased at the door or through the Santa Clara Swim Club website online.
USA Swimming will also provide a live webcast of the event.
The meet is the final stop of the 2011-2012 USA Swimming Grand Prix Series. Swimmers are awarded five points for a gold
medal, three points for a silver medal and one point for a bronze medal. The top scoring swimmer at the conclusion of the
Series will be awarded $20,000. Michael Phelps (Baltimore, Md.) currently sits atop the standings with Allison Schmitt
(Canton, Mich.) currently in second. Reigning Grand Prix Series Champion Missy Franklin (Centennial, Colo.) rounds out
the top-three spots. A leaderboard for the USA Swimming Grand Prix Series can be found online at www.usaswimming.org/
grandprix.
The USA Swimming Grand Prix Series serves as an opportunity for swimmers to race against some of the best competition
in the country as they continue their preparation for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials in Omaha, Neb. as well as the 2012
Olympic Games in London.
About USA Swimming
As the National Governing Body for the sport of swimming in the United States, USA Swimming is a 300,000-member service organization that promotes
the culture of swimming by creating opportunities for swimmers and coaches of all backgrounds to participate and advance in the sport through clubs,
events and education. Our membership is comprised of swimmers from the age group level to the Olympic Team, as well as coaches and volunteers. USA
Swimming is responsible for selecting and training teams for international competition including the Olympic Games, and strives to serve the sport through
its core objectives: Build the base, Promote the sport, Achieve competitive success. For more information, visit www.usaswimming.org.
2 2011-12 USA Swimming Grand Prix Series