American swimmer Shanteau undergoes cancer surgery

U.S. swimmer Eric Shanteau stretches on the starting block before his semifinal race in the men's 200-metre breaststroke at the Beijing Olympics on Aug. 13. (Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press)

American swimmer Eric Shanteau, who participated in the 200-metre breaststroke at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, underwent surgery Wednesday to remove a cancerous testicle.

Shanteau, 24, had the operation at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, Ga., according to his agent, Evan Morgenstein, who added that doctors should have final results of the surgery by Friday.

The native of Lilburn, Ga., learned of the diagnosis in June, just a week before the U.S. Olympic trials in Omaha. Shanteau said he was advised to have surgery immediately, which would have kept him out of the water for at least two weeks.

But given the fact that his cancer was treatable and had not spread, Shanteau was cleared to compete if he could qualify.

That made for an easier decision about the Summer Games after he improbably clinched a berth by surpassing Brent Hansen, a former world record holder, on the last lap of the 200 breaststroke at the U.S. trials to finish second.

Shanteau maintained that he would quit the team immediately if the cancer showed any signs of spreading.

"If I didn't make the team, the decision would have been easy: Go home and have the surgery," Shanteau said after he revealed his diagnosis. "I made the team, so I had a hard decision. But by no means am I being stupid about this."

Shanteau did not advance past the semifinals of the 200 breaststroke at the Games, but his willingness to go public with the illness made him a rallying point for cancer victims around the world.

With files from the Associated Press  

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