Tigers prepare for Grand Prix

Michael Phelps will not be participating.

By Evan Glantz

Published Feb. 12, 2009

While the glory of the Summer Olympics has faded away, Missouri has the chance to recreate the excitement this weekend at the Missouri Grand Prix. Both the men's and women's teams will get the chance to compete against participants and medalists from this past summer's games.

"It's a very unique situation," coach Brian Hoffer said. "The last couple years have been exciting because of the world records. Last year was the best because so many athletes were here getting ready for the Olympics."

But one notable athlete will be absent this weekend. Fourteen-time Olympic medalist Michael Phelps, who set a world record in the 200-meter butterfly at the Grand Prix in 2007, will not be participating. USA Swimming suspended Phelps for three months after a photo showed him smoking from a bong.

"I wasn't really expecting Phelps to be racing this quick," Hoffer said. "If he were to come, I would have been a little surprised."

Even without Phelps, the Grand Prix will offer some of the world's best. Names like Katie Hoff, Ryan Lochte, Matt Grevers, Garrett Weber-Gale, Mark Gangloff and Christine Magnuson will be racing this weekend. All these swimmers took home at least one medal in Beijing this summer.

There is also the international competition. Gold medalist Oussama Mellouli of Tunisia and silver medalist Frederick Bousquet of France will be competing.

"A lot of the guys on the team haven't had a lot of international competition," senior captain Bryan Difford said. "College swimming is based on the 'team' aspect. You start off with the relay, you end with the relay, it's all based on team. International competition is more of an individual sport. 'How can I make myself better?' 'What do I need to do to get on certain teams, or certain qualifying times?'"

One of Missouri's biggest goals this weekend is to qualify more members of its men's and women's teams for the NCAA competition. Because of the high intensity and excitement of the meet, the Grand Prix is the perfect stage to achieve that objective.

"A couple of the guys have rested fully for this meet," senior captain Jake Hoffman said. "I think that they have a really good shot at making NCAA, because they are better long-course swimmers."

Hoffer reiterated those goals for both the men's and the women's teams.

"With the women, we just had a lot of misses last year," he said. "We barely missed a couple people individually for the NCAAs, and our 800-relay was very disappointing. We missed by a couple tenths of a second. So our goal is to get people to the NCAAs."

There will be no shortage of excitement at the Missouri Aquatics Center. Olympians and collegians alike will be competing against one another, everyone striving for a best time.

"I feel like if we can go up against the best, we can go up against anybody," senior women's captain Lori Halvorson said. "It's a huge confidence booster to get up and race world record holders and Olympic gold medalists."