USA Swimming will host a battle between top U.S. swimmers and a team of European All-Stars at the fifth Mutual of Omaha Duel in the Pool December 16-17 at the Campus Recreation Center. Tickets to the event are now on sale and can be purchased online here. The competition will take place at the Georgia Tech Aquatic Center.

Friday the event starts at 6:30 p.m.

Saturday the event starts at 2 p.m.

USA Swimming will add additional seats to the Georgia Tech Aquatic Center for the event but less than 3,000 seats are available for each day of the competition.

The U.S. roster will be announced at the end of October and will be comprised of the fastest swimmers selected from four meets in 2011 – the FINA World Championships, ConocoPhilips USA Swimming National Championships, World University Games and Pan American Games. The European All-Star team will be comprised of up to 22 men and 22 women, and has already seen commitments from World Championship swimmers from Great Britain, the Netherlands, Poland, Belarus, Denmark, Austria and Lithuania. The complete selection procedures for the U.S. team can be found online.

“Mutual of Omaha is proud to bring the world’s best swimmers together in a head-to-head competition as Team USA takes on the European All-Stars,” said Mutual of Omaha Senior Vice President John Hildenbiddle. “With its thrilling competition and great coverage on NBC, the Mutual of Omaha Duel in the Pool builds excitement and enthusiasm for swimming leading up to the 2012 Olympic Games.”

The bi-annual Duel in the Pool is a made-for-TV event, designed to showcase the sport’s most exciting swimmers in a short course meters format. This year’s event will be the fifth Mutual of Omaha Duel in the Pool in the history of USA Swimming. Past Duels were held in 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2009. The U.S. is 4-0 in the history of the Mutual of Omaha Duel in the Pool.

"The Duel in the Pool is a fantastic celebration of our sport, and a great opportunity for fans to come out and witness firsthand the excitement around the sport of swimming," said Chuck Wielgus, USA Swimming executive director. "We are so grateful to have a long-term partner like Mutual of Omaha, who is committed to presenting our sport in such an exciting and accessible fashion."

Over $100,000 of prize money will be awarded at the Mutual of Omaha Duel in the Pool. Swimmers will be awarded cash prizes for world records and wins with world records commanding up to $15,000 and gold medals commanding $1,500.