Trials Schedule & Live Results

Live Results

Prelims - 9 am EST (cut off time for prediction contest)
Finals - 6 pm EST

Day 1:
Women's 100 Fly
Men's 400 Free
Women's 400 Free
Women's 200 IM
Men's 100 Breast
Men's 400 IM

HEAT 1/ 6
3 JOHNSON ERIC 86 KINGPN 56.18
4 TIEMEIER BRIAN 84 OSU−OH 56.11
5 IPPOLITI CHRISTOPHER 84 PSU−MA 56.16

HEAT 2/ 6
1 YEAGER ROB 82 TEAMNC 55.86
2 BURTCH GRANT 85 UM−MI 55.59
3 ERBEN PAUL 84 FSU−FL 55.46
4 SIMONSEN DANIEL 85 UCI−CA 54.77
5 CADY KURT 83 AUB−SE 55.30
6 LISCINSKY WILLIAM 81 CUBUPV 55.50
7 KNOECHEL ANDREW 85 UOFMMN 55.77

HEAT 3/ 6
1 JAMERSON JOHN 85 FSU−FL 54.13
2 CONNOLLY DILLON 88 LINSGA 1:05.47
3 SMITH MATTHEW 81 SCSCPC 1:05.21
4 MIRANDA JOHN 85 PSU−MA 1:05.11
5 TAMERIS HEATH 86 CM−OH 1:05.18
6 ALBRIGHT ANDREW 84 UM−MI 1:05.31
7 EDDY RICHARD 84 CUBUPV 53.69
8 WARD EMERSON 83 ASU−AZ 54.63

HEAT 4/ 6
1 ROGERS DALE 82 WA−WI 1:04.72
2 POGIOLI GIORDAN 83 PUR−IN 1:04.18
3 LOWE MATTHEW 85 UT−ST 1:03.27
4 USHER SCOTT 83 UW−WY 1:01.07
5 SWANDER KEVIN 84 IU−IN 1:02.31
6 STEVENS NATE 82 UN−2AZ 1:04.10
7 VANDERKAAY CHRISTIAN 82 UM−MI 1:04.34
8 WELCH COREY 83 UF−FL 1:04.96

HEAT 5/ 6
1 SPANN SCOTT 88 TXLAST 1:04.58
2 MAHONEY SEAN 88 TERAPC 1:04.16
3 SCHURR CHRISTIAN 84 UT−ST 1:02.91
4 GANGLOFF MARK 82 AUB−SE 1:00.81
5 MARSHALL GARY 82 CPSCOK 1:02.21
6 RIDGEWAY PAUL 84 TXLAST 1:04.06
7 KORNFELD PAUL 87 BTA−GU 1:04.27
8 MRAZEK BILL 84 UF−FL 1:04.90

HEAT 6/ 6
1 ROLLINS DAVID 84 UN−2AZ 1:04.46
2 VELEZ DANIEL 83 NCSTNC 1:04.12
3 ROWE CALEB 83 CAL−PC 1:02.62
4 HANSEN BRENDAN 81 TXLAST 59.30
5 MOSES ED 80 CUBUPV 1:01.82
6 CRISTE JOHN 89 CANYCA 1:04.01
7 ROBERTS JONATHAN 87 RSA−NC 1:04.20
8 SALAZ JAKE 86 UW−PN 1:04.81

Wednesday Night Flirt with John Lohn

By the sparkling and effervescent Lala -

It was immediatley clear that this was going be a different kind of chat.

At 7:05 John arrived and said "Sorry I'm late, guys." All those bad bad girls said they were used to waiting hours for the guest to arrive at chat. I was not there at the time. I would never have disrespected our Toight Toiger in that manner.

He immediatley went on record saying "For the record, we're gonna go on the greatest bar crawl in the history of Montreal this summer. For those who can't go, we'll tip one back for ya!"

• John likes: red skittles (drink), baseball, basketball, golf, and relaxing with friends. He "country clubbed it in tennis and golf and taught tennis for 8 years." Says he is kinda shy so he doesn't use pick-up lines (drink again). Really likes Marvin Gaye's "Let's get it on" (Isn't that a pick-up line?) and Barry White.
• A favorite show of his is The Bachelor and he would love to do the show one day but says he has "no guts." He would like to see Brendan do a Bachelor show with the BHO girls, (um, John, the show would only last one week.. We would all give Brendan the rose, duh.)
• He has been a sportswriter since the 5th grade. His Dad was a football, hoops, track coach and he enjoyed watching so it made sense. By his freshman year in High school he knew writing was what he wanted to do for a living, and he doesn't let his work trap him in the office (although he said he would be working until midnight) "I need more free time."
• For you tattoo hunters (drink again), he has the La Salle emblem (not a typewriter) emblazoned on his shoulder blade just like his father.
• He likes Manayunk as a fun spot in Philly and is game for meeting the BHO girls there in the future. *flirt*
• He is a Corona or Vodka and tonic guy, but "Praying to the porcelain god is never a good thing"
• After stating the he was "single, but looking...definitely looking..." he got many offers for a remedy and said, "great...I need a lady on my arm." When he got even more offers he said, "I better grow octopus arms...this is good news." He is so very accommodating .... And even offered his Home as a BHO flop house. *flirt*

On Brendan:

• "Nothing beat the records in Long Beach...but one thing that stands out is the way he handled himself in Ind. after missing in 2000....so mature and had a great outlook on the future"
• The main reason that people always have such great things to say about him is: "He treats people around him really well. That's something you can't teach. It means you were raised right"
• His most hated swimming moment was? "When we all saw that dolphin boy in Athens." (drink alot) - Watching that video still makes him mad (drink more).

On NCAA Championships:

• John would liked to have seen Duje Draganja take the NCAA swimmer of the year with his "win in the fly, record in the 100 and 19.01 in the 50...two record relays...nuff said."
• About Scott Ushers DQ? "tough break for Scott...I'm sure it was accidental"

On Trials:

• When asked what women he thought would be hot in Indy, he said the BHO girls would be the hottest! (playah!) *flirt*
• He says that Ian Crocker and Aaron Peirsol will cruise their specialties and Jason Lezak will be fine in the 50 but will have a tough go if Michael Phelps swims the 100 free.
• His predictions for the Breaststroke races are: "100: Brendan (59.83) and Ed (1:00.74); 200: Brendan: (2:09.66) and Ed (2:11.43), and "Gangloff will definitely be there at the end"
• John looks forward to, "Bren cracking one minute again...not to put too much pressure on him
• Wouldn't mind seeing Ed bounce back a little either." "[Moses]Can't get top spot, but he's too talented to not have something left in the tank...he works so hard on top of it." He also feels that Gary Marshall may have peaked at Pac-10 champs.
• Katie Hoff- "is scary good.... She's going to branch out even more in Indy"
• He couldn't believe that Ryan Lochte was entered in 11 events and feels that he may need to be propped up on the blocks for the final events. Of course there were volunteers.. *flirt*

What John really finds to be different about swimmers versus other athletes that is "[Swimmers are] much more down to earth and willing to give back....they just get it"

I think the same can be said of John Lohn. *flirt*

Prediction Contest

Bumping this thread to the top - last day for you to get in on this $2 gift certificate. Can't win if you don't play.

Now that the Official Psych Sheet for Trials has been released I thought it would be a fun challenge and make trials even more interesting if we had a little prediction contest. So this is how you play...For each event listed on the Psych Sheet (28 in all) list your top 3 finishers in order of finish. At the end we'll do the math:

10 points - for each correct position,
6 points - if that person is in the top 3 but in a different order
3 points - if that person isn't in the top 3 but still in the top 6

The person with the most points at the end will be crowned "Most Excellent Swimming Fan Evah" and have bragging rights. Ok, I might throw in a $2 gift certificate for Krispy Kreme just to make things more interesting ;). All predictions must be posted by the start of Prelims on April 1st.

GAME ON!

Wednesday Night Chat Reminder

Don't forget that tonight we are having a pre-Trials pep rally with special guest John Lohn. Those of you going to Indy be sure to join us. I spoke to Brendan last night - he's in Indy and bored already. He's got his laptop and if he can figure out the internet situation he'll be joining us for a bit.

Another FAB article from the J.Lo of Sports Reporting

By JOHN LOHN
jlohn@delcotimes.com

The road to Beijing is miles long and days away, but routes to the 2008 Olympics are already being mapped out. Although Athens remains a fresh memory, the nature of sports is to look ahead.

What's next? Who's next? These are questions that are constantly asked in the swimming world. As in, how low can times go? Which youngsters are the next American stars?

Brendan Hansen hears the questions, often from himself. A been-there, done-that athlete, Hansen has nothing left to prove in the pool. If he walked away tomorrow, he'd be revered as one of the greatest breaststrokers in history.

But, Hansen has a unique approach to his many accomplishments. Rather than focus on the past, he is motivated by curiosity and an insatiable hunger. The chance to relive history will always be there. The chance to make more, however, will not.

So, beginning Friday, Hansen will address the next phase of his career. Competing at the United States World Championship Trials in Indianapolis, the Haverford High graduate is chasing invitations to Montreal. If successful in the 100 and 200 breaststroke events, Hansen will compete in his third World Championships, slated for North of the Border in July.

As important, a successful meet will begin his journey toward China in positive fashion. Sure, the next Olympiad is years away. Nonetheless, Beijing is a long-term focal point.

"There are a lot of things that drive me," Hansen said. "It's not so much one thing or one individual. I've raised the bar and now it's time to look higher and see what I can do. It's time to put a stamp that I'm not going anywhere."

Last year was nothing short of magical for Hansen, who concluded 2004 with a pair of individual world records from the Olympic Trials and a rainbow of medal

Then again, Hansen is the last person to place limitations on himself. For that reason, he is confident he can get faster and add a few more achievements to the resume.

In two previous World Championships — in Japan and Spain — the University of Texas product has collected four medals. There's good reason to believe that total could reach eight. Of course, for that scenario to unfold, Hansen must take care of business in Indianapolis.

"It's been a little weird because I haven't raced as much as past years," said Hansen, referring to his first season away from the collegiate scene. "But I've been feeling better every day and I'm looking forward to things. I feel fast. This is the first time I won't be coming off the NCAA Championships for Spring Nationals, so that's good."

When Hansen steps onto the blocks in Indy, he's unlikely to be challenged by his American competition. Such is the gap he has created within the borders of the United States. The clock, though, is the ultimate indicator for a swimmer and has the potential to send riptides through the swimming community.

Yes, a couple of sizzling times would make for a major statement, most notably to Japan's Kosuke Kitajima, the Olympic champ in both breast events. There's no denying the rivalry that has brewed between Hansen and Kitajima.

Although Kitajima won double-gold in Athens, his victory in the 100 breast was saturated with controversy. Off the start and turn, underwater cameras showed Kitajima using an illegal dolphin kick for extra propulsion.

Then, a few months ago, Fumihiko Iwahara questioned whether Hansen could improve his world-record times. A researcher with the Japan Institute of Sports Sciences, Iwahara suggested that Hansen produced the perfect race during his 100 breast world record, mainly because he wasn't pressured. That sentiment was reiterated by Kitajima's coach, Norimasa Hirai.

Of course, anyone familiar with the United States Olympic Trials knows the intense level of pressure that is present at the event. And, considering the tactics employed by Kitajima in Athens, it took some serious audacity for his camp to publicly question Hansen's skills.

In tune only with his objectives, Hansen has paid little mind to Kitajima. From Hansen's viewpoint, producing his best is all he can ask. As for the perfect race, Hansen has long declared that there is no such thing. It's that mentality that has proven beneficial over the years.

"I don't know much about it and I can't worry about it anyway," Hansen said of the comments from Kitajima's corner. "It's not me against him. For me, the big thing is to go out and set a world record on an international stage. I'm worried about what I'm doing. There's more to prove."

Since walking away from the World Short Course Championships in October with four gold medals and Swimmer of the Meet accolades, Hansen has adjusted to a different lifestyle. Less hectic in some ways, his daily routine is more jam-packed in other aspects.

Without collegiate swimming, Hansen's racing schedule has been greatly reduced. No dual meets. No Big 12 Championships. No NCAA Champs. Instead, just a handful of forays, including the American Short Course Championships earlier this month. There, Hansen clocked a couple of speedy in-season times.

While his competition schedule has been condensed, his out-of-water appointment book has been full. Not only is Hansen taking 17 credit hours at Texas, he's serving as a teaching assistant for a pair of, what else, swim classes. When time permits, clinics and speaking engagements also dot the calendar.

Recently, Hansen appeared on VH1's 100 Most Wanted Bodies, a five-part series that included the four-time All-Delco critiquing a number of celebrities, often in humorous fashion.

"That was a nice thing to do," he said. "I had a good time and I think it showed that the small kid from Havertown has made it. I guess it was another stepping stone."

In terms of Beijing, this week also falls into that category.

Behind Hansen, Men's Breast Events are Open at World Champs Trials

By John Lohn

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind., March 29. FRIDAY is creeping closer and closer, so as SwimInfo continues its preview series of the World Championship Trials, we direct our focus to the breaststroke events on the men's side. The Trials begin Friday in Indianapolis.

Barring a startling development, two of the breaststroke berths to Montreal are all but gone, seemingly already in the pocket of Brendan Hansen, the triple Olympic medalist and world-record holder in the 100 and 200 breast events. Quite simply, Hansen has separated himself from his American competition.

Last summer, Hansen highlighted the U.S. Olympic Trials with a pair of world-record swims. After cranking out a mind-boggling effort of 59.30 in the 100, Hansen came back with a 2:09.04 mark in the 200 breast. Can he approach those standards? Soon, we'll know. At the very least, the University of Texas product is feeling strong.

It's been a little weird because I haven't raced as much as past years, said Hansen, referring to his first season away from the collegiate scene. But I've been feeling better every day and I'm looking forward to things. I feel fast. This is the first time I won't be coming off the NCAA Championships for Spring Nationals, so that's good.

While Hansen has the upper hand on two World Champs invitations, the remaining two slots are up for grabs between a solid quartet, which includes Ed Moses. The 2000 Olympic silver medalist in the 100 breast, Moses story may be one of the most intriguing in Indianapolis.

After missing out on the Athens Olympics last summer, it will be interesting to see how Moses responds. Certainly, the Curl-Burke athlete is gifted and knows what it takes to excel at the international level. It would not be surprising to see Moses in Montreal this summer.

Members of the Athens Olympic Team, Mark Gangloff and Scott Usher will also be in the mix. Gangloff, who was fourth in the 100 at the Olympics, will be a contender over both distances. As for Usher, his status remains uncertain. Last week, Usher struggled at the NCAA Championships, where he was disqualified in the 100 breast and managed only fourth in the 200 breast.

Also in contention this week will be Gary Marshall, coming off an NCAA title in the 100 breast and a third-place effort in the 200 breast. While Marshall had a strong NCAA competition, he was not as swift as he was at the Pac-10 Championships in early March. The question is whether Marshall can peak for one more meet.

Wednesday Night Chat

Please join us on Wednesday night at 8/7 central for a pre-trials pep rally and chat with our special guest John Lohn. John is the newsmaster of SwimInfo.com and sports reporter for Brendan's home town newspaper the Delaware County Times. He also enjoys pina coladas, getting caught in the rain and making love after midnight....

Auburn Takes Home Another National Title

The 200 breaststroke now has a new champion and his name is Vladislav Polyakov. After four years of dominance by Brendan Hansen of Texas, the Alabama sophomore seized the moment, taking the NCAA title in a pool record time of 1:53.93.

Polyakov held a substantial lead through 150 yards, but held off a hard-charging Mike Alexandrov of Northwestern, who recorded a brisk 29.30 final split, by .11. Alexandrov came up for second in a time of 1:54.04.

Third place went to Gary Marshall of Stanford after clocking 1:54.54. Marshall maintained thoughts of going two-for-two in the breaststroke events after capturing the 100 crown last night. But the Cardinal senior faded on the final 25 split, losing more than a half second to Polyakov and over a full second to Alexandrov.

Scott Usher of Wyoming took fourth (1:55.33) and Vanja Rogulj of Virginia (1:56.17) placed fifth. Dave Rollins (Arizona), Henrique Barbosa (Cal) and Eric Shanteau (Auburn) complete the championship field in sixth through eighth, respectively.

Read More

NCAA Championships Update

"For the past four years, Brendan Hansen has been swimming and everyone has kind of been in his shadow. It's nice this year because it's kind of an open playing field and everyone has a shot."

- Gary Marshall

Live updates from Dan the Media Man being posted on Dave Denniston's Message Board.

ETA: Congrats to Lena for winning a silver medal in her national finals earlier today.

Updates and Links

Brief video of Brendan talking about time management at the Mutual of Omaha website.

Esther has contributed a lovely new wallpaper for the gallery. Thanks babe! xoxox

And photographer Peter Bick has given me permission to feature his photos from Worlds 2004 in the gallery. He'll be working in Indianapolis next week, and hopefully we'll see him in Montreal as well.

NCAA Division 1 Men's Swimming & Diving Championships

March 24-26, 2005
University of Minnesota Aquatic Center
Host: University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
Official Psyche Sheet
Teams Participating

TV Broadcast Info:
Women's Swimming & Diving Championship
Friday, March 25 - ESPN2 - 2:00 pm ET

Men's Swimming & Diving Championship
Friday, April 1st - ESPN2 - 1:30 pm ET

UT's Preview Page

World awaits

Now, things are almost back to Olympic-level intensity for Usher. He'll try for his (and UW's) first collegiate individual title on Friday and Saturday at the NCAA Division I Men's Swimming and Diving Championships in Minneapolis. On April 1, he'll kick off his post-collegiate career at the USA Swimming World Championships Trials. If those meets aren't motivation enough, the 200-yard breaststroke at the NCAA meet promises to be one of the fastest races ever, and his entire swimming future might rest on his performance at the World Championships trials.

No pressure.

"We want to end his college career on a high note," Johnson said. "And then, he'll probably go pro after that, and it'll be an opportunity for him to swim professionally. I've never said that before, among my kids, so it's kind of a nice thing to be able to say."

First, Usher will tangle with the country's best collegiate swimmers at the NCAA meet. The 100 and 200 breaststroke races will be competitive but will also be without Brendan Hansen. The former Texas star, who graduated after last season, never lost a collegiate race in the 100 or 200 breaststroke, and last year he set an NCAA record in the 200 to beat out Usher for the title.

But the two swimmers are friends. Hansen will attend this year's NCAA meet as a spectator, and the two likely will train together for the World Championships this summer. Hansen won the silver medal in the 100 and bronze in the 200 at the Athens games.

Even with Hansen out of the NCAA picture, Usher will still compete with another big foe: the pool. Usher's strength is his ability to powerfully cut through the water, which is why he's slightly better at the 200 than the 100 and slightly better when swimming a long course (200 meters) as opposed to a short course (200 yards, which converts to about 183 meters). The NCAA race at the University of Minnesota will take place in a short-course pool.

Read More

10 days to Trials

Well, I'm back for 48 hours. What can I do, the boss cannot live without me. I want to thank all the lovely support I received with everyone betting how long I'd last.... very funny.

But we all know this is not about me. We're entering the final countdown to Trials. The schedule so far goes like this:

Day 1:
Womens 100 Fly
Men 400 Free
Womens 400 Free
Womens 200 IM
Mens 100 Breast
Mens 400 IM

Day 2:
Men 100 Back
Womens 100 Back
Men 200 Free
Womens 200 Free
Mens 200 Fly

Day 3:
Womens 100 Breast
Mens 100 Fly
Womens 50 Free
Mens 50 Free
Womens 400 IM

Day 4:
Mens 100 Free
Womens 200 Fly
Mens 200 IM
Womens 200 Back
Womens 800 Free
Mens 1500

Day 5:
Final W 800 Free
Womens 100 Free
Mens 200 Back
Womens 200 Breast
Mens 200 Breast
Final M 1500

Day 6:
Final M 800
FreeFinal W 1500 Free


And for your entertainment, scheduled to appear are the following.
Aaron Peirsol - Amanda Beard - Amanda Weir - Brendan Hansen - Bryce Hunt - Carly Piper - Caroline Bruce - Dan Ketchum - Dana Kirk - Dana Vollmer - Diana Munz - Haley Cope - Ian Crocker - Jason Lezak - Kaitlin Sandeno - Kalyn Keller - Kara Lynn Joyce - Katie Hoff - Kristen Caverly - Larsen Jensen - Margaret Hoelzer - Mark Gangloff - Michael Phelps - Natalie Coughlin - Neil Walker - Peter Vanderkaay - Rachel Komisarz - Rhi Jeffrey - Ryan Lochte - Scott Goldblatt - Scott Usher - Tara Kirk

That is all for now, back to my training.

Want to play a game?

Hello Sports Fans! I know that there is mad Basketball right now, but some of us don't actually follow basketball. Yet, we still like games! Wee! So I am proposing a little game of Acronyms!

How you play: You make a phrase or sentence using the letters of the word given as the first letter of each word.

Example word: Brendan

Example Acro: B-man reluctantly eats noodles, declares, "Ack! Neveragain!"

That is how the game is played. I challenge you to play with me. Once you have made your phrase, please be kind enough to leave a word for the next player. If you saw a word ealier that you are dying to make an Acro of, Do it! .... Just leave the word you passed as your challenge word.

Let's see if we can make the challenge words Brendan Joseph Hansen, Olympic, or swimming related.

Challenge word: Stroke

Do it! Go Go!

Reese a finalist for U.S. Olympic Committee National Coach of the Year

Finalists for the USOC National Coach of the Year included Mike Candrea (Casa Grande, Ariz./USA Softball), April Heinrichs (Gainesville, Va./U.S. Soccer), Yevgeny Marchenko (Plano, Texas/ USA Gymnastics), Reese (Austin, Texas/USA Swimming) and Dane Selznick (El Segundo, Calif./USA Volleyball).

"It was a surprise to me," Reese said. "But it is a tribute to all the hard work that the swimmer's put in to prepare for the Olympics and all that they gave to make the swimming part of the Olympics a success."

Reese, who served his fifth stint on the Olympic coaching staff and second tenure as head coach, guided Team USA to a record 18 Olympic medals at the 2004 Athens Games, the most by any men's team since 1976. Reese boasted five of his own athletes - Aaron Peirsol, Brendan Hansen, Ian Crocker, Neil Walker and Nate Dusing - on the team, with Peirsol, Hansen and Crocker earning a combined five gold, two silver and two bronze medals. Reese was also the 2004 Big 12 Coach of the Year and the USA Swimming Coach of the Year.

Read More

Taking Bets

Lena CLAIMS she'll be offline for the next 10 days as she is housesitting for her parents, has 2 papers to write and is preparing for National Finals in Archery. Well, Eville Admin and I don't believe her. She can't resist the call of BHO even though it would mean suffering her parents slow dial-up connection. We are taking bets on how long she'll make it (although maybe we should be betting on how often she'll sign on instead.) The prize is bragging rights of course and the opportunity to harrass Lena while she's not around to defend herself.

She just called to update me that she's now made it 16 hours with no internet - how much longer do you think she can go?

Tomorrow last day for Q&A Submissions

If you have a question for Brendan please email it to me by midnight tomorrow. (that's March 18th, Michelle Central Standard time yo.) And Brendan is a total rockstar for doing this for us yet again, so please be considerate and limit your questions to 2 or 3. Some of you appear to be writing your thesis on "How Hot Swimmers Live" and trying to use Brendan as your only source.

Brendan's Trials Performance Featured at USA Swimming

2004 Olympic Trials - Brendan Hansen's breaststroke world records

At the 2000 Olympic Trials, Brendan Hansen was heart-wrenchingly close to becoming an Olympian with not just one, but two third-place finishes in the breaststroke races. Disappointed but not defeated, Hansen embarked on a new chapter of his swimming career at the University of Texas with coach Eddie Reese. Over the next four years, Hansen found motivation in his shortfalls from 2000, and had one of the most successful college swimming careers of all time.

Read More

Also added to the Media Gallery are videos of Brendan's 100m Breast and the 4x50 Medley Relay from the 2005 American Short Course Championships. Thanks to Texas-Trio.com for sharing their vids with us. More coming soon.

Wednesday Night Chat Recap

By the "mad hot" Longhornlove...

The Great One, or Pumkin as we call him, entered followed by our special guest Kaitlin Sandeno and was attacked with a swarm of happy Hello's and Hi's. Bren offered the momentarily stunned Kaitlin some words of encouragement, "Hope you can keep up Kaitlin".

After lying to her by promising we would slow down, Bren outed us all by saying "you guys never slowed down for me"....hmmm is someone a little jealous?

Funny stories shared by Kaitlin and Brendan:

• During their appearance in Omaha (by the way Kaitlin calls him B, which I think is too cute!): "ok, so B was soo funny at this appearance we had, and all the ladies were totally crushin' on him...and I was wondering where all this comedy was coming from...so B was like doing stand-up...and we got to a question for me and before I answered I was like 'Brendan's not usually this funny' then I got some laughs!" (looks like Brendan isn't the only one who thinks quick on his feet)
• Kaitlin brought up a "horrible" photo shoot they had both done in Indianapolis, when mentioned Brendan recalled how he froze the entire time and the makeup lady "made me look like a clown". To which he followed by stating that there was a clown in the corner of his room. Eville Admin replied: "Peirsol?" (ouch!) Kaitlin is afraid of clowns too... new mission: to find out if all swimmers fear clowns.
  
• Kaitlin's secret for great hair is to shampoo and condition after every swim and put in Paul Mitchell mousse. All teh "hair talk" inspired Brendan to tell a funny story (which made Kaitlin sweat a little): A few days ago over at one of his girl friends (that means a friend who is a girl ladies..don't worry) while he was sitting at her computer looking at some music she asked him if she could straighten his hair with the "clampy looking thing" and Bren said yeah sure. After she was finished Bren says he looked like Clay Aiken. (and apparently Aaron took a picture..*Note to Aaron: We will pay $$$ for photo. Thanks)

Marry/Shag/Cliff:

• Kaitlin, given the choices of Bren, Aaron, and Ian: Marry B, shag none of them, and cliff Ian (at this point many began to wonder where Sarah was to rescue the cliffed Ian and just then she appeared) Kaitlin said that it wasn't that she didn't love Ian too, just that she goes way back with Aaron.
• Pumkin, given the choices of Kaitlin, Amanda, and Mandy Moore: shag Mandy, marry Kaitlin, and cliff Amanda (were those wedding bells some of you were hearing last night?)

Random Stuff

• Bren has been busy working on his house this week and assured us things were coming along.
• Aaron is still looking at places, but is being picky because you have to be (Bren, where do I sign up to be the new roomie?)
  
• For Easter Kaitlin plans on spending time with her family. Brendan said it depended on the weather, but he may go to the lake, but not for fishing (coughtotallyfishingcough)
• The five things Kaitlin can't live without? her family, her friends, her bed, shopping/clothes, and good health...oh and B of course! (that's six but since she threw in Brendan there can be six)
• Brendan said there is only one thing he can't live without, food. (me thinks that Pumkin was hungry during last night chat) *ed note: he may have had more answers but the room answered that question for him*
• What's the most daring/adventurous thing Kaitlin and Brendan have ever done? Kaitlin said getting her tattoo since she hates needles. Bren said cliff jumping his sophmore year... at night.....naked. He's just trying to sound "bad ass" was Kaitlin's response (and we all agreed).
• Kaitlin, about the women's 4 x 200 Free Relay in Athens: "I was seriously screaming before I put my hand on the wall. it was crazy, It was the perfect way to wrap up my 2004 Olympics."
• Brendan's response when asked what he thought Texas's chances in March Madness, "they won't make it to the second game OVERRATED" (way to keep that school spirit Bren). Kaitlin blamed it on the fact that they lost "that PJ player guy".
• Brendan's favorite girl scout cookies are thin mints. Kaitlin's are thin mints and samoas
• Brendan and Kaitlin both dream in color
• Brendan's biggest fear: rejection
• His guiltiest pleasure, his gmom's Sunday dinners. Gmom then shared that he always eats all the cucumbers out of the salads. Brendan said he was now waiting to see all the cucumbers that would be arriving in the mail
• Pumkin says that maybe one day he will get around to an impromptu road trip to somewhere. Exactly where he's not sure of yet, but mentions of him doing a BHO house tour were brought up. Ladies start cleaning and breaking out the spare bed sheets now.
• One last helpful hint, if you want to throw Brendan a shirt, he wears a large. (and please Erin, don't throw scrapbooks-I kid because I love!)

Wednesday Night Chat

We'll have a special guest during Brendan's Chat tonight. Kaitlin Sandeno, Olympic Gold, Silver and Bronze medalist will be joining us around 8 pm central time. I know many BHOers also visit MissKaitlin.com and will enjoy this opportunity to chat with her. Y'all think of some good questions for Brendan and Kaitlin and the same rules apply with Kaitlin as do for Brendan. If you have a question, let an admin know and we'll put you on our magic list. ;)

Also - the prizes for the Valentine Contest winners have finally arrived and are so funny I wish I'd gotten an extra one for myself. You guys please email me a shipping address and I'll get these right out to you along with an autographed photo of Brendan.

Swimmer Kitajima didn't grab double gold on natural ability alone-science put him over the top

Kosuke Kitajima heard the bad news last July. He was training in Spain before the Athens Olympics. A U.S. swimmer had easily broken Kitajima's world records-marks he had just set-in the 100-meter and 200-meter breast stroke. Kitajima's coach, Norimasa Hirai, asked Fumihiko Iwahara, 33, a researcher with the Japan Institute of Sports Sciences, to analyze video of the races.

Using the lane dividers to judge distance, Iwahara timed the American over every 10 meters and counted his strokes. He concluded the U.S. swimmer hadn't missed a stroke in a perfect performance.

How had the American done so well? Perplexed at first, he eventually considered the role of pressure.

``The reason he was able to swim so perfectly was because he was so far ahead of the other swimmers. He wasn't under any pressure at all. But could he be so perfect in an Olympic final?'' Iwahara said.

Sitting beside him, coach Hirai chimed in: ``So we pressure him. We'll take a psychological strategy.''

When they arrived at Athens, Hirai and Iwahara told Kitajima to go all out, even in the preliminaries. He followed instructions and set an Olympic record in his first prelim.

As far as the Japanese were concerned, the pressure was now on the American. The ball was in his court and he dropped it. Kitajima left Athens with two gold medals around his neck.

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Gallery Additions

I've added 8 new pics to the 2003 Barcelona Worlds gallery thanks to Milk from Aaron Peirsol Online.



And there have been some new additions made to the Blogger gallery as well including this recent shot of Swimphilly, Dana Cara and Heather with a mystery cop.

John Lohn Appointed Newsmaster at SwimInfo

Congrats to John!

A 1999 graduate of La Salle University in Philadelphia, John began covering sports for the Delaware County Daily Times as a college freshman. He has been a staff writer for the Daily Times since 1999, where he's won awards for his coverage of scholastic and collegiate athletics. His main responsibilities include football, swimming and lacrosse, along with feature writing.

In 2000, John had his first article published in Swimming World and has been a regular contributor to the magazine, along with Swimming Technique and SWIM Magazine, for the past four years. He is 28 years old and resides in suburban Philadelphia.

"John is an outstanding swimming writer, with an instinctive understanding of the sport, its athletes and its culture," said Whitten. "In my opinion, he is the best young swimming reporter in the U.S. He's also a very quick study. I am delighted he has come on board."

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Orange Goggle Awards

Vote for Brendan!

Rewriting VH1's History: Your Top 5 Most Wanted Bodies.

Fine. So be it VH1.

We all saw the show; or the clips in my case, since the Pumkin South American Legion (members so far: 1, we are accepting new members, we don't have high requirements) does not get VH1.

We all enjoyed the witty smoo-hoo-king comment (did I say it right?) and it was a blast to hear how long Mike's back actually is (was it 6'?).

It was fun. But that does not change the fact that it was not accurate. At all.

So, BHO, in her policy of always, always being fair, it's giving you the chance to rewrite history and tell us how your top 5 would have been. You can post freely in here, we believe in your right to free speech.

Just a little reminder: I have a bow and I know how to use it. Think of that while making the list ;)

Ok, people, your Top 5. Let's hear it.

Also - Brendan's VH1 Clips are all in the media gallery now. He was featured 15 times in total over the course of the week and adorable EVERY time, of course.
We've also added 2 special tribute music videos featuring Brendan and others made by the lovely Summer. Be sure to check them out as well.

Fan Q&A with Brendan

Brendan has agreed to another Fan Q&A! You can submit questions through the 18th of March (that gives you a week to think of something really GOOD). Duplicates will be tossed so be original and send them to me by clicking here.

Brendan Featured in Leukemia Research Foundation Newsletter, Winter Edition

Gold Medalist Supports the LRF

Brendan Hansen, swimmer and gold medalist from the Athens 2004 Summer Games has designated the LRF as his charity of choice. On Friday, December 17th, Hansen made a special visit to he University of Illinois Chicago Medical Center so he could spend some quality time with pediatric leukemia patients. Also pictured is swimmer, Kristy Kowal, silver medalist from the 2000 Games in Sydney. The LRF is thankful to Hansen for dedicating his time to help raise awareness about the importance of funding research to find a cure for blood cancer.

Those who'd like to help Brendan support the Leukemia Research Foundation may do so by clicking the link right over there in the sidebar. Brendan is notified of all donations made in his name.

Thanks to Blair for sharing her newsletter with me. xoxox babe.

Wednesday Night Chat Recap

By the SmooHOOkin JHD -

• Bren is a major procrastinator. He was supposed to be studying "motor control" for an exam but chose to talk to us instead. Yeah we love you too Bren, but if you fail don't blame us. (Well, you can blame Eville Admin, but the rest of us? Totally innocent.)
• Bren is at work on his house. He's hired an interior decorator and "she rocks". She better because I know of at least 40 girls who would have decorated your house for free...
• Bren has a trademark whether he wants it or not. Say it with me people, "smo-hoooooooo-kin'"
• The quote that says the most about Bren's life: "When life gives you lemons make lemonade" (Editor's note - Bren, keep that in mind when reading the rest of the recap. I always tease the ones I love. ;)
• Things not to do for Bren's birthday party this year: hire a clown. He's not a big fan of them.
• Scariest movie he's ever seen? The Ring.
• Wondering how he balances school and swimming and still manages to stay focused? Bren has a pretty good time management system, which apparently includes procrastination being built in. (Editor's note - That sounds a lot like my system, only it's all procrastination, very little management.)
• Gmom stopped in to make sure Bren was "nice to these great ladies." Bren's response to her warm welcome: "ahaha your a hit grandmom"
• Bren doesn't miss the snowy weather at all. He even told his mom that the other day he loves Austin. That's good, especially considering he just bought a house in Austin.
• The funniest and best thing of ASC was "Ben Michaelson fell off the bleacher to look at the Brendan's Texas Legion sign when Mike made a comment." Bren was in the water at the time and choked. Offers of mouth-to-mouth and AED were intstantaneous.
• The weirdest dream Bren's ever had? Falling dreams. (Personally, I don't think he needs to worry about that, he's never been cliffed yet. And it's not likely to happen in the future either.)
• Attention Texas Legion: If Bren is in town, he might be attending the Grand Prix this year at Texas A & M. He might be in Santa Clara though, so don't be disappointed if you don't see him.
• We all know Bren is a rockstar. But he's also such a good person. He agreed to be on atrophy28 and crackinup's relay team for the Dave Denniston lap-a-thon that's happening at Novaquatics in May. Well, that is assuming he can qualify during the time trial. Even Bren wasn't sure he could, since he "heard you guys are good." Good luck, Bren! Practice hard.
• The first thing Bren notices about a girl that makes her *smoohkin*? Good to know that Bren is not superficial. It's "her presence and how she carries herself [he] said that about Keira Knightley because she looks like so much fun to be around."
• Bren loves baseball, and has never met hockey player Jeremy Roenick. (That makes 2 of us.)
• When Bren retires from swimming, he's taking up professional wrestling. His name? "the CHEATAJIMULATOR I fight everyone who cheats." (His outfit as agreed upon by chatters is a cape, purple speedos and a Finding Nemo t-shirt.)
• 2 things Bren wishes he never has to do again: Mow the lawn or go to the dentist. (Psst, Bren, you have a roommate. Make him mow the lawn as part of the rent.) I'm so jealous he never had a cavity or had to wear braces.
• Bren is still in denial about ballroom dancing lessons, although he claims he can "cut a mean rug." Let's go to the videotape on that to verify...oh, wait, we don't have any. One more thing to add to the BHO Visual Wish List.
• The Olympics was the best swimming experience he's ever had. And the second week was the best part of the Olympics, although he's STILL not saying why. Such a tease.
• Some of the girls going to Indianapolis for Trials wanted some guidance for what they should do to support Bren. Instead of offering suggestions, he merely wants to be surprised. Good luck girls. You've got a tough act to follow after Austin.
• Oh and Bren? You still owe Aims an answer. Maybe you should call her...

Wednesday Night Brendan Chat

I spoke to Brendan earlier and he's going to be online for chat tonight around 8ish Brendan Central Standard time. He may not be able to stay long because he has to study, but you guys be sure to have some questions ready for him. I was loving the "deep" questions some of you asked last time so let's see if we can top ourselves with more of those.

Gallery Updates

Video Clips of Brendan's apprearances on VH1's 100 Most Wanted Bodies are now in the gallery thanks to the lovely and SmoooHOOkin Verbal. You can find them HERE!

And there are now 244 pictures from ASCC in the gallery thanks to all the girls in Texas who so generously shared their photos and their experiences with us. Rock on Texas Legion! You can see their photos here.

Brendan on VH1 - 100 Most Wanted Bodies

These people are insane though and have him talking about Mike's body. His own is so much more interesting! (not that anything is wrong with Mikes yo. No hate mail!)

Anyway - Be sure to watch for it. It's scheduled to be rebroadcast frequently.

Tonight at 9 pm for those of us in Central time. West Coasters can catch it at 2 and 10 pm.

Lala's Pac 10 Adventure

I live in Long Beach, California and I just happened by the Belmont Plaza pool on my way home from work on Saturday, where the Pac-10 Men's Swimming Championships were being held. I wasn't meaning to stay long but... When I got there I found out that there had been a power outage that almost caused them to move the meet. So things were running late. I knew I wasn't going to get to see much because I had to be at the theater at 7:30.
When I got there, of course I called Michelle, and she told me of this guy named Gary Marshall whom the Stanford press had misreported to have broken Brendan's Pac-10 100 Breast record. I thought hmmm..... Pac -10.... Has Texas been moved to the Pacific? This now went from being my first big girl swim meet into becoming an official BHO scoop event. When the Stanford team came in and placed themselves immediately to my left I asked the first non-swimmer type that I saw with a red sweatshirt if he knew who this "Gary Marshall who broke Brendan Hansen's record" was, and he said, "Well that guy in the sunglasses is him.. but he didn't break Hansen's record." I checked the schedule of races and saw that he was going to be shooting for Bren's NCAA record in the 200 Breast. I decided that I would wait to leave until 6:45 and make sure he didn't break it.
As I look across the pool I see the unmistakably square shoulders of Olympian Larsen Jensen. AimsRos texts me, and I call her and say "Guess what I am doing, I am looking at swimboys and I see a guy who looks like LJ over at camp USC." And she goes, "Well, you should look for Eric Vendt too. And Kaitlin Sandeno." I said, "Well she isn't here because I am one of only 18 women in the whole room and there are no cute curly blondes here." She told me to keep my eyes peeled. I saw Druje Draganja win the 100 free, and when Larsen was standing next to me readying to get his second place award for the 1650 free.... I saw.. RINGS!! like two feet away from me! Yes my brothers and sisters I saw rings just like Bren's only on the right shoulder. I scrambled for my palm pilot to snap a shot for the rings gallery and too late he was gone. As I peered through my tears of disappointment, I see a lovely vision of blond hair across the pool. It is Miss Kaitlin herself. She has just arrived and goes to take her place behind the blocks in support of her team. She is laughing and cheering with LJ. Then she disappears as quickly as she swims.
Time for the 200 Breast. I am really getting nervous. Bren is at a meet along with the Texas legion at UT and I am here in California defending his honor. I know that Lena's bow is available if I need it. The bonus final begins. I can't wait for the Final.. It is almost 7:00pm. I will be late. A mass of beautiful blonde hair walks in front of me. I say, "Kaitlin?" She turns and smiles this really genuine and welcoming smile at me and I say "Hi, I am lala and I am glad to see you here! I am such a fan and I just wanted to say hi!" I told her about BHO and this guy who was going for Bren's record, she said something about Bren being awesome or a sweetie.... or heavenly.. (okay the heavenly part is mine). We chatted about worlds and my hope to see her swim there and she talked of her hopes to be there. I told her how much we all appreciate her taking time to answer guestions on MissKaitlin. She had just come from a photo shoot and her hair was fabulous. I asked her if I could take her picture and she said, "Just me? You have to be in it too." If I didn't think she would hunt me down I would have cropped myself out. And then I said it.. You all know me by now. I had to. "umm Kaitlin?.... Can I see your RINGS?" She said "My tattoo??" We both put our hands to our mouths and giggled a little bit . It was hilarious. So she discreetly turned around lifted the bottom of her shirt and showed me the RINGS on her back just above her belt. I said something like "SQUEEE!!" and I asked her if I could take a picture of them and she said yes. I gave her my card and thanked her for stopping to chat with me and invited her to check us out here. Then went off to watch the final of the 200 Breast. She is awesome and adorable and warm. Very worthy to be a girl's swimmer crush.
Gary Marshall finished his race in 1:52.71 shattering the Pac-10 record but missing Bren's record of 1:52.62. My work was finished. I was sad to miss the end of the meet but I had a stage to catch. I made it on time.

Saturday Night Finals

Looks like Bren has scratched from the 200 IM Final but we're still going to cheer on the rest and enjoy.

Women's 200 Back
Men's 200 Back
Women's 100 Free
Men's 100 Free
Women's 1650 Free
Men's 1650 Free
Women's 200 IM
Men's 200 IM
Women's 400 Medley Relay
Men's 400 Medley Relay

Saturday Morning Prelim Results

Articles:
Phelps can only laugh at breaststroke

Results:

Women's 200 Back
Men's 200 Back
Women's 100 Free
Men's 100 Free
Women's 200 IM
Men's 200 IM
Women's 1650 Free
Men's 1650 Free

Men's 200 IM Results:

1 Phelps, Michael        19 Wolverine         1:43.00    1:46.57 AUTO 
     10.65    12.35    13.69    12.91
     15.44    15.80    13.66    12.07
2 Gangloff, Mark         22 Auburn Aq         1:44.80    1:49.81 CONS 
     10.93    13.27    14.28    13.85
     15.75    15.55    13.62    12.56
3 Brunelli, Nicholas     23 Sun Devil              NT    1:50.14 NATL
     10.24    12.83    13.83    12.93
     16.97    17.36    13.67    12.31
4 Wike, James            21 Auburn Aq         1:49.42    1:50.33 NATL 
     10.95    13.19    14.17    13.94
     15.05    16.20    14.08    12.75
5 Hansen, Brendan        23 Longhorn          1:50.12    1:50.46 NATL   
     11.12    12.86    14.78    13.96
     15.27    15.85    13.83    12.79
6 Mahoney, Sean R        16 Terrapin          1:52.84    1:50.76      
     11.59    13.41    14.91    13.82
     15.56    15.15    13.54    12.78
7 Klueh, Michael         17 Longhorn          1:52.37    1:51.11      
     11.02    12.44    13.75    12.96
     17.45    17.52    13.79    12.18
8 Riley, Sean            20 Texas             1:51.93    1:51.58      
     11.06    12.92    14.90    13.91
     15.74    16.45    13.77    12.83

Friday Night Texas Legion Report!

New pictures from tonight have been added to the Gallery.

Erin's Report:

We got to the swim center at around 5:45 pm, and we
found some seats on the far side, because there were
so many people already in the middle of the center.
The seats were right above the locker room where the
swimmers went in and out to change and shower. When we
sat in our seats, we saw Aaron standing in front of
us, with his huge afro, and I took a couple pics of
him. I had the banner ready to put up right before the
meet started. We saw Bren warming up in the warm-up
pool, and Ian was there warming up too. Brendan was
wearing a navy speedo, and then he changed into
"street clothes:" jeans and a gray long sleeve shirt.
Ian's speedo was blue, if you wanted to know, Sarah.
=D Then Jenny found us, and we put up the banner,
except the rope that we had was too fat to fit through
the railing to hold up the banner, so we had to lean
on the banner so that it wouldn't fall. There were
these 2 girls sitting next to me, taking pictures of
Michael, and Brendan passed underneath the banner and
waved at me, and she thought that he was waving at
her. And she got all excited...haha. Anyway...We
waited for Brendan's races, and we watched Ian's and
Aaron's. They were awesome, by the way.

Me, and Jenny, and my friends cheered really loud for
Ian and Aaron, but even louder for Brendan. A lot of
swimmers were admiring our banner, I bet they were
just jealous that they didn't have one. Haha. After he
finished swimming, he was walking back towards the
locker room, and I called his name. He looked up at
me, and said "Hi, Erin!" I asked him if he could sign
the banner, and he said that he would be out later, so
he would sign it then. He also said that he liked my
shirt. Brendan gave some little boy his swim cap, too.
Aaron and Ian walked by a lot, and I got some really
good pics of them. Jenny tried to call Ian a couple
times so that we could take good pics of them, but
they never heard her....=(

After that, Michael was signing autographs for people,
and I went to stand in the "line" so that he could
sign my friend's birthday card, when my friend, Joanna
called me over. She said that Brendan was asking for
me...*squee!!* He told me that he wouldn't be able to
go out there because there was going to be too many
people. So I asked him if he could sign the banner
now, so I lowerd it, almost falling over the railing
(I'm sure Brendan would have caught me!), and he
signed really big in the corner. And I told him to
write something else, so he wrote "BHO is the best!!"
YAY! Then he signed some other stuff for other people.
Then I went back to get the card signed for my friend,
and by then the meet was over. So Brendan started
signing autographs for fans and other people. I was
stuck in a massive amount of people, so I talked to
Bren for a few minutes while he was signing stuff. I
asked him to sign my "I <3 BH" shirt, and he did. And
then he signed a swim cap for my friend, and when he
handed it back, I asked for "the hug that I didn't get
last time." He said "Sure!" and I finally got my hug!!
*SQUEE!!!* =D It was the best hug ever!

Then we got ready to leave, and Jenny asked Brendan if
there was some way that he could take a picture with
the banner, and he said that he couldn't leave, and
that he would definitely do it tomorrow. So, we're
holding that to you, Brendan!

Friday Night Finals!

Women's 200 Fly
Men's 200 Fly
Women's 50 Free
Men's 50 Free
Women's 200 Breast
Men's 200 Breast
Women's 100 Back
Men's 100 Back
Women's 500 Free
Men's 500 Free
Women's 200 Free Relay
Men's 200 Free Relay

Men's 200 Breaststroke Results:

  1 Hansen, Brendan        23 Longhorn          1:57.67    1:54.19 AUTO   
       11.83    13.91    14.44    14.49
       14.61    15.03    14.73    15.15
  2 Gangloff, Mark         22 Auburn Aq         2:00.02    1:58.17 CONS   
       12.27    14.34    14.71    15.19
       15.20    15.39    15.70    15.37
  3 Phelps, Michael        19 Wolverine         2:01.55    1:58.31 CONS   
       12.26    14.21    14.80    14.89
       15.35    15.44    15.81    15.55

Yes, Brendan had FOUR SECONDS to sit and wait on the rest of the field. What a rockstar!

Friday Morning Prelim Results

Articles:

Olympians Impress at American Short Course Championships
Phelps Swims Fastest 200-yard Freestyle in History
Phelps breaks U.S. record in 200-yard freestyle by .95

Results:

Women's 200 Fly
Men's 200 Fly
Women's 50 Free
Me