On June 19, 2008 Shanteau was diagnosed with testicular cancer, less than a year after his father was diagnosed with lung cancer in July 2007. To add to the debilitating news, Shanteau was slated to compete in the 2008 Olympic Trials shortly thereafter. But after a series of medical exams, one week prior, he was cleared to participate in the Trials and qualified for the 2008 Olympic Team in the 200m breaststroke.
In last year’s U.S. Championships, Shanteau captured an American-record time of 2 minutes, 8.01 seconds in the 200m breaststroke, and won the 4x100m medley relay in a world-record time of 3:27.28 at the FINA World Championships in Rome. Additionally, at the FINA World Championships, he finished second in the 200m freestyle, third in the 200m individual medley and fourth in the 100m breaststroke.
Shanteau is an 11-time NCAA All-American from Auburn University, and despite finishing just short at the 2004 Olympic Trials, he was the first American to win gold medals in the 200m IM and 400m IM events at the 2005 World University Games. Also, during the 2007 U.S. National Championships, Shanteau was a silver medalist in the 200m breaststroke and 200m IM, and took home bronze medals in the 100m breaststroke and 400m IM.
