RSS
|
|
|
Named 2002 NCAA Swimmer of the Year after winning the 1650 yd freestyle and 400 yd IM, and placing second in the 500 yd free. Vendt broke the 16-year-old American record in 1500 m free, becoming the first American to break 15 minutes with a time of 14:59.11 at 2000 Olympic Trials. Erik Vendt attended Boston College High School in Dorchester, MA. While in high school, Vendt swam for the United States Club Swimming Team Ocean State Squids under head coach Joshua Stern. Vendt then attended the University of Southern California and was a five-time NCAA title winner, 13-time All-American and seven-time Pac-10 title winner as a Trojan. After the 2004 Olympics, Vendt retired for almost a year before returning to competition. Vendt returned to train at Club Wolverine under Bob Bowman, alongside Klete Keller, Michael Phelps, and Peter Vanderkaay. In 2001 Erik won silver in the 400 m individual medley at the 2001 World Aquatics Championship in Fukuoka, Japan. Most recently, Erik broke the American record in the 1000 y dfreestyle with a time of 8:36.49 on January 18, 2008, at the Southern California Grand Prix meet. On February 18, 2008, Erik Vendt posted a 1500 meter freestyle time of 14:47.59 while at the Missouri Grand Prix. In the process he set a US Open record, set previously by Grant Hackett in 2003. On May 15, 2008 in California, Vendt posted a 14:46.78, then 2008's fastest in the 1500 m, thereby appearing to set up a likely duel in the Beijing Olympics 1500 m final with Grant Hackett, who posted a 14:48.65 at the Australian Olympic Trials in March and is the two-time defending Olympic champion in the event. But it was not to be, as Vendt finished 4th in the 1500 m final of the U.S. Olympic Trials in Omaha on July 6. Vendt won a gold medal in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing by swimming in the heats of the 4×200 meter freestyle relay. On September 2, 2008 Vendt participated as a special speaker at Ron Paul's Campaign for Liberty Rally for the Republic event in Minneapolis, Minnesota. After the 2008 Olympics concluded, Erik Vendt relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area. He works for a successful financial company in San Francisco. |
