Gallery Updates & News

Tons of new photos have been added to the gallery over the past few days. Not only do we have many new Worlds and Duel in the Pool photos but I've added several new ones to the blogger gallery as well (molly_mormon, Francesca and Alexandra with Brendan, Ms. of Arc with Brendan, Angie with Brendan, etc. I know Brendan took photos with many more of you so you have to send them in!) There will be more to go so keep checking back. And I'm working on the 31 pages of predictions so give me a few days to do the math on that and come up with a winner y'all.

Some articles:

Hansen erases Olympic sting

He's focused and feels great after his two victories at the World Championships.

By MARK WHICKER
The Orange County Register

The world wasn't necessarily watching Brendan Hansen last week, but that was fine. He was looking straight ahead.

"There was nothing in the pool except my lane," Hansen said after winning the World Championships gold medals in the 100- and 200-meter breaststroke.

"I didn't look at anybody else. I was looking straight down at the end of my lane, and that takes a lot of discipline because I'm usually getting out fast and then checking out where everybody is. But that's what it took to win."

Hansen brings that tunnel vision to today's Duel In the Pool in Irvine, the meet that matches the best of the U.S. and Australia.

The victories in Montreal reduced the sting of last year's Olympics. Hansen had set world records in the U.S. trials in Long Beach, but Kosuke Kitajima of Japan won both races in Athens.

Hansen finished second in the 100 and third in the 200 then picked up gold in the 400 medley relay.

"Along with my world records, that feeling of winning in Montreal last week was probably the best I've ever felt in a pool," Hansen said.

The loss in the 100 is best remembered for the "dolphin kick" controversy. After Kitajima won, Aaron Peirsol accused the Japanese swimmer of getting away with an illegal kick. The victory stood.

Ironically, the swimming authorities announced last week that they are relaxing their standards, and that a version of the butterfly or dolphin kick will be permitted.

"It'll probably increase the speeds by a tenth-of-a-second," Hansen said. "I'm going to have to keep working just to keep up. But the best thing about it is that it clears up the controversy."

Hansen won the NCAA titles in both breaststroke events for four consecutive years while at Texas. He, Peirsol and Ian Crocker all live and train in Austin now, and Hansen likes to recede into the nearby countryside to fish and hunt birds.

Those mornings of solitude helped him evaluate his Olympics.

"I said at the time that it was difficult to peak for the Trials (in early July) and then to peak again for the Olympics (in mid-August)," Hansen said. "I probably tapered too much for the Trials, but that's because I'd come so close to making the team in 2000, and I wanted to make sure I made it.

"This time there was a longer period of time between the qualifying and the Worlds, and I could see a difference. The whole thing should prepare me a lot better for 2008."

Hansen missed his 100 world record by .07 of a second and his 200 record by .01.

Brendan Hansen wins gold at World Championships

The latest news from the USOC - August 4

US swamp Aussie in Duel in the Pool

Thompson slams male swimmers