SHANTEAU THE BIG STORY

BEIJING, August 6: Michael Phelps and his bid to win a record eight gold medals has been billed as the biggest and best story of these Olympic Games but in truth Phelps is not even the best story on his own team.

Little known 200 metre breaststroker Eric Shanteau's goal before the USA trials was simply to make the American team. Now his goal is to get through the Olympics and fight for his life. DAVID LYALL AOC REPORTS....

Just a week before he lined up for the then most important swim meet of his life, Shanteau found out he has testicular cancer. Swimming was suddenly put in perspective.

Shanteau decided to keep the shocking news close to his chest and only those in his inner sanctum knew of the cancer when he lined up against former world record holder Brendan Hansen and rising star Scott Spann in his pet event at the trials.

That he finished second to Spann, knocking Hansen from Olympic calculations in an even that he was expected to challenge for the gold, was seen by most swimming pundits as big news. Little did they know!

After the trials Shanteau failed to lob for the USA team camp and some of his team mates were jokingly making up rumours as to why the Olympic rookie wasn't there. They were about to find out.

Doctors advised Shanteau to have surgery immediately, a predicament that would have forced him out of the water for at least two weeks and out of the Games for good.

But the 24-year-old was not prepared to give up his Olympic dream and when he joined his team mates he broke the news that no one was expecting. Michael Phelps' coach Bob Bowman broke it down the best.

"It seemed to put everything in perspective that there are a lot more important things going on than times in a swim meet and who travelled to China and who didn't," Bowman said.

"To me it was a great lesson to all of us to really appreciate what we have."   

Now Shanteau is in Beijing being closely monitored by team doctors, vowing to drop out of the Olympics if he receives any indication the cancer is spreading.

Although he admits to thinking of the cancer everyday he remains focussed on why he is here - and what's important.

"A lot of times when you get to events like this you can put too much pressure on yourself but I've kind of got an out in cancer that keeps things in perspective," Shanteau said.

"There's a lot more to life than just the Olympic Games and having learned that lesson very quickly it's kind of helped keep this whole event in perspective for me."

He said he is inspired by Lance Armstrong, someone he looked up to even before his own diagnosis. His Olympic team mates are now inspired by him.

Four time Olympic medallist and dual backstroke world record holder Aaron Peirsol spoke for the US team when he said Shanteau had given their Olympic experience some bigger picture clarity.

"It's been inspiring in so many ways. Every time he tells us about it he does it with a smile on his face and the way he has handled this and the way it has put everything else in perspective for all of us, making us take a step back to realise there was more to this than just swimming and given everyone of us a different perspective knowing there is something like this going on," Peirsol said.

As Peirsol spoke Shanteau looked to be choking up with emotion, clearly comforted by the fact he had a team alongside him for support every step of the way.

"The support that I've gotten from the athletes and coaches that are on this Olympic [swim] team has been tremendous," Shanteau said.

"People have asked how you remain focussed on swimming and it's easy really when you have one of the best Olympic teams in the world in your corner supporting you.

"From the night I told them, up until now, and basically for the rest of my life I know they're going to be in my corner and supporting me through this. When you have a group of people like that it makes it that much easier for me.

"I'm just thankful that they have taken me under all of their wings. From the youngest person on the team to the oldest person on the team they're all behind me and support me in the fight that I'm going through."

There is no doubt when Shanteau, ranked eighth in the field, is behind the blocks for his race on Day 4 (Tuesday, August 12) the entire American team will be there supporting him. They won't be the only ones.