Shanteau says he has testicular cancer

Swimmer Eric Shanteau, who qualified for the U.S. team in 200-meter breaststroke, revealed that he has testicular cancer. In an interview with the Associated Press, Shanteau said he learned about the cancer a week before leaving for the U.S. Olympic trials.

"I was sort of like, 'This isn’t real. There’s no way this is happening to me right now,' " he told the AP by phone.

"You’re trying to get ready for the Olympics, and you just get this huge bomb dropped on you."

His doctors have cleared him to swim at the Beijing Games.

-- Debbie Goffa

Photo: Eric Shanteau at last year's world championships. Credit: Mark Baker / Associated Press