Phelps, Soni Among Olympians to Compete in Long Beach This Weekend

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado, January 12. OLYMPIC gold medalists Michael Phelps (Baltimore, Md.) and Rebecca Soni (Plainsboro, N.J.), and other members of the USA Swimming National Team will compete Jan. 15-18 at the Southern California Grand Prix in Long Beach, Calif.

The meet will take place at the Belmont Plaza Olympic Pool and is the second stop in the eight-meet 2009-2010 USA Swimming Grand Prix Series. The Series will award the overall winner a $20,000 grand prize. A leaderboard can be found online at usaswimming.org/grandprix.

World Championship medalist Dana Vollmer (Granbury, Texas) and Long Beach native and world record-holder Jessica Hardy will also swim at the meet. Other National Team swimmers expected to compete in Long Beach include Fullerton Aquatic Swim Team members Margaret Hoelzer (Huntsville, Ala.), Katie Hoff (Towson, Md.), Ariana Kukors (Auburn, Wash.), Caroline Burckle (Louisville, Ky.), and Robert Margalis (St. Petersburg, Fla.).

Mission Viejo swimmers Chloe Sutton and Deni Cullom as well as National teamers Alex Vanderkaay (Rochester, Mich.), Felicia Lee (Wayne, N.J.), Ben Hesen (Jeffersonville, Ind.), Elizabeth Pelton (Baltimore, Md.), and Andie Taylor (Issaquah, Wash.) will also join the star-studded lineup in Long Beach.

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 2010 ConocoPhillips National Championships and the 2010 Pan Pacific Championships, both taking place in Irvine, Calif. Other stops in the Grand Prix series include: Columbia, Mo.; Austin, Texas; Columbus, Ohio; Charlotte, N.C.; and Santa Clara, Calif.; and Los Angeles.

Tickets for the 2010 Southern California Grand Prix of Swimming are $7 per session. An all-session pass is available for $30. Tickets can be purchased at the door. Live results can be found at socalswim.org. Finals start at 5 p.m., Friday through Sunday and at 4 p.m. on Monday. Prelims begin at 9 a.m., Saturday through Monday and at 5 p.m. on Friday.

Race footage from the Grand Prix meet will be broadcast online on www.swimnetwork.com. The site will also feature behind-the-scene interviews with athletes and coaches, preview stories and results.

The above article is a press release submitted to Swimming World Magazine. It has been posted in its entirety without editing. Swimming World offers all outlets the chance to reach our audience by contacting us at Newsmaster@swimmingworldmagazine.com. However, Swimming World reserves the right to choose what material is posted.

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