Broadcast Schedule for Nationals

I don't get a single one of these channels. Good thing I was there in person.

Comcast Sportsnet West
Wednesday August 23
8 - 10 p.m.

Comcast Charter Sport South East CSS
Sunday, August 20
3 - 5 p.m.

SportsNet NY
Thursday, August 31
6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

SportsNet NY
Sunday, Sept. 3
8 - 10 p.m.

SportsNet NY
Sunday, Sept. 10
2 - 4 p.m.

SportsNet NY
Friday, Sept. 15
1 - 3 p.m.

SportsNet NY
Sunday, Sept. 24
2 - 4 p.m.; 8 -10 p.m.

CN8
Saturday, September 2
7 - 9 p.m.

Altitude Sports
Wednesday, August 23
8-10 p.m.

Altitude Sports
Thursday, August 24
1-3 p.m.

Altitude Sports
Monday, August 28
7-9 p.m.

John has a new premium article at Swimming World but they've added a new little disclaimer at the bottom saying I can't post them elsewhere. Well, honestly it could have been there before and I just never noticed it. Here's the link...

Hansen Storming Toward Beijing

No new info about Brendan really, just a recap of his season and quotes from Nationals and Pan Pacs about his plans for Beijing. There is however something noticeably new in the first paragraph of the article, and that is John's location. No longer reporting from the familiar Aston, PA, John and Dana have new digs in Cranbury, NJ. Congrats you guys!

Btw, I think Ryan Lochte may have something to say about this one quote from your article..."He is a contender for World Swimmer of the Year, a battle that basically comes down to the University of Texas graduate and Michael Phelps." Ryan did after all have an amazing short course season in which he set 3 World Records of his own. Not that I'm advocating he should win, but thought I'd just throw that out there.

Medley Relay from Pan Pacs!

Once again, compliments of lala.

Brendan's World Record Setting 200 from Pan Pacs

Compliments of lala!

More Photos added to the Pan Pacs Gallery

This time from Maxine.



This is Maxine (on the right) with the bear that she and her sister Claire (on the left) made for Brendan but never had a chance to give him. Brendan - you need to do a swim clinic in the Portland area and claim your cute bear!




And one more photo from Jessie - Jaclyn, Jessie, Claire, Tarn and Maxine at dinner.

You can see more in the Pan Pacs Gallery.

Y'all don't forget to watch continued Pan Pacs coverage tomorrow afternoon. It was great seeing Brendan in the 100 today but tomorrow's 200 should really be something else! (I hope he wins ;). See the post below for station and time.

Pan Pacs Televised this Weekend!

For US viewers:

NBC

Saturday, Aug 26
2:00pm EST

Sunday, Aug 27
12:30pm EST

For Canadian viewers:

TSN
Saturday, Aug 26
1:00pm EST

If for some reason you aren't able to watch the televised broadcast you can see Brendan's races in the Day 2 and Day 4 videos available on the Pan Pacs Multimedia page.

Also, I've added Sarah's photos from Nationals to the gallery. And Jessie's photos from Pan Pacs! Wheeeee! Thanks girls!

Brendan featured in August 28th issue of Sports Illustrated!

Led by breaststroker Brendan Hansen, a formidable U.S. team showed off its depth at the Pan Pacific Championships

By Kelli Anderson

If everyone would cooperate, the trading of world records and international titles between U.S. breaststroker Brendan Hansen and his Japanese rival, Kosuke Kitajima, would make a great story line going into the Beijing Olympics. One small problem: Hansen doesn't intend to let Kitajima, who bested him in both the 100- and 200-meter breaststrokes in Athens, beat him again. "I don't know how much of a rivalry it's going to be," Hansen said between sessions of torching Kitajima and all other comers in the breaststroke events at the Pan Pacific Championships in Victoria, B.C., last week, "because I don't plan on letting him get anywhere close to me again."

Though Hansen's prerace jitters caused him to rush his stroke in the 100, he won the gold last Friday in 59.90, .49 of a second ahead of Brenton Rickard of Australia, one second ahead of Kitajima and .77 off one of the two world records he set at the nationals in Irvine, Calif., three weeks ago. On Sunday, Hansen topped his record-setting time in the 200, winning in 2:08.50, .24 of a second under his previous best and 2.37 seconds ahead of Kitajima. "I did it right, and everything clicked," Hansen said. "At the 150 I was like, See ya, I'm gone."

Hansen's decisive wins were just two of a number of notable swims by a deep U.S. squad, which set four other world records in Victoria. Michael Phelps broke his own three-year-old marks in the 200 butterfly (1:53.80) and the 200 individual medley (1:55.84). Aaron Peirsol broke his own record in the 200 backstroke in 1:54.44, a particularly impressive feat given that two months ago he strained his right shoulder in a friendly arm-wrestling match and couldn't train with both arms for a month. The men's 4X100-freestyle relay team of Phelps, Neil Walker, Cullen Jones and Jason Lezak swam a time of 3:12.46, returning to the U.S. a world record that had been held for the last six years by Australia and then South Africa. Said Phelps, "It's going to take a lot for us to give it up."

Hansen, 25, shares that mentality. He traces the start of his rivalry with the 23-year-old Kitajima to the 2003 world championships in Barcelona, at which the latter set world records in the 100 and 200 with Hansen in the lane next to him. Inspired, Hansen ratcheted up his training and broke both of Kitajima's records at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials, becoming the first American to hold both breaststroke marks since John Hencken in 1974. But Kitajima won the two events in Athens. His victory in the 100 was controversial; Peirsol, Hansen's former University of Texas teammate, protested that Kitajima had used a then illegal dolphin kick at the start, but the victory stood. "At the finish [Kitajima] let out an unbelievable scream," recalls Hansen. "I told myself, Just soak it in. I walked away from Athens with a huge chip on my shoulder."

At the worlds in Montreal last year, Hansen beat Kitajima in the 100 and won another gold in the 200, an event for which Kitajima had failed to make the Japanese team. In Victoria it was all Hansen again. "I want to put up times that make other guys say, There's no way I can compete with that," he says.

Aside from huge paddles that move a lot of water -- he is just 6 feet but has size 13 1/2 feet and hands that measure 11 inches from the base of his palm to the tip of his middle finger -- Hansen's biggest advantage over his competitors is his work ethic. "His kick is not among the top 30," says his coach, Eddie Reese, "but if any of those 30 swimmers worked out with him for a month, they'd go into retirement."

Unlike fellow U.S. world-record holders Peirsol, Phelps and Ian Crocker, who get pushed by each other or other teammates, Hansen doesn't have much company at the top of the American breaststroke heap. Instead of working out with other breaststrokers in Austin, he tries to keep up with the backstrokers. "I don't want to look back on anything and say, Could I have worked harder?" he says. "I see a lot of unused talent in this world, and I don't want to be one of those people."

Nor does he want to see talents go undiscovered. The Havertown, Pa., native recently took up the guitar and plans to take welding and photography classes at a community college this fall. "I really want to try photography," he says. "I've been to all these beautiful places, and I have nothing to show for it."

Nothing, that is, except a pile of medals, two world records and one vanquished rival.

Fast Finish

Brendan Hansen wasn't the only swimmer in Victoria adding a chapter to a rivalry. At last summer's worlds, Jessicah Schipper of Australia beat the world record held by Poland's Otylia Jedrzejczak in the 200 fly but was touched out at the wall by Jedrzejczak, who got the win and the record, though some camera angles appeared to show her touching with just one hand. In Victoria, Schipper, 19, churned out the fastest final 50 in history (32.94) to finish in 2:05.40, .21 of a second better than the previous world mark. "I definitely used [the worlds] as motivation," says Schipper, who also won the 100 fly. "I think she will go a lot faster," says her coach, Ken Wood. "When you've got the world record, you can't sit still."

ACK. First day back at school..

At least I don't have to swim a 10k. I can't believe Klete did that "for fun". It looks COLD. Winners of the 10k were Chip Peterson and 14 year old Chloe Sutton btw. Klete finished near the bottom of the pack but his sister Kalyn got that silver medal. Great result for US Swimmers in Victoria.

I think I've FINALLY finished adding my photos from Nationals. The "Other Swimmers" gallery is now done and after saying I would only add a few of each swimmer it's got quite a bit more than that. I'm hoping to add a few more pics of Brendan from Pan Pacs later in the week.

Here's a snip from John's latest premium article at Swimming World...

Scanning the Swimming Scene

**For as great as Phelps is, an argument can be made that Aaron Peirsol and Brendan Hansen are the most dominating swimmers when it comes to a specific event. While Peirsol lowered his world record in the 200 backstroke to 1:54.44, Hansen delivered a clocking of 2:08.50 in the 200 breaststroke.

Historically, Peirsol's backstroke time is .86 faster than the 1:55.30 that makes Phelps the second-fastest performer all-time. More, Peirsol owns the seven quickest swims ever produced. As for Hansen, his world record in the longer breaststroke is .92 faster than the 2:09.42 that ranks Japan's Kosuke Kitajima as the second-fastest performer in history. Additionally, Hansen boasts the three-fastest swims ever produced.

Pan Pacs Prediction Contest Results

1. AimsRos 710
2. Lala 668
3. Tinkerbell 653
3. Andrea 653
4. Dana Cara 642
5. Alison 638
6. Michelle 636
7. Sarah 629
8. Tim 628
9. nzswimmer 591
10. Lena 528

Congrats Amy! And congrats Lena! You get the super duper loser prize. I'm just so happy I finished middle of the pack this time. That may be my best finish ever.

Swimmers look ahead to Beijing after record-setting Pan Pacs

VICTORIA - On the final day in the pool of the Pan Pacific Swim championships Sunday, the fancy new Saanich Commonwealth Games scoreboard flashed the message: "718 days, 18 hours, 33 minutes, 28, 27, 26... seconds to the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics."

Beijing came into view, at least for swimming in a big way at SCP with six world records set - five by the blazing American team.

"We've seen a lot of faces here that will be heard from in Beijing," said U.S. head coach Frank Busch, whose squad was one of several of the 19 national teams here who used the Pan Pacs as their qualifying meet for the 2007 world aquatics championships next March in Melbourne.

It was ho hum: Another day, another two world records at the 2006 Pan Pacific championships Sunday in the claustrophobic and sauna-like confines of a crowded SCP.

U.S. superstar Michael Phelps broke his own world record of 1:55.94 from 2003 by clocking 1:55.84 Sunday to win the men's 200-metre individual medley at the Pan Pacs, a quadrennial meet featuring most of the non-European swimming powers.

Fellow American Brendan Hansen also lowered his own world mark of 2:08.74 in the men's 200-metre breaststroke, set earlier this month at the U.S. national trials in Irvine, Calif., by winning Sunday in 2:08.50.

They were the fifth and sixth world record set in the blistering 2006 Pan Pacs and almost certainly establishes the Saanich pool as one of the fastest in the world.

Phelps set the 200-metre butterfly world record on Thursday and was part of the world-record setting U.S. 4x100 relay team on Saturday.

Fellow American Ryan Lochte was just 0.27 behind Sunday in the 200 IM as the two swimmers came charging to the wall amid the din.

"The crowd has definitely made a big impact ... and it's always a little more exciting when it's head-to-head like that," said Phelps, winner of six gold medals at the 2004 Athens Summer Olympics.

Brian Johns of Richmond was sixth in 2:01.71.

Hansen conserved his energy shrewdly in his race and was two seconds over his old world record by the halfway point and didn't appear as if he was going to break it on this night. But he powered through the final 100 metres like an aquatic version of a runaway locomotive to pull away from Kosuke Kitajima, the defending 2004 Summer Olympics champion from Athens. Kitajima was second in 2:10.87 and Michael Brown of Calgary fifth in 2:12.56.

"The plan was to take it out slowly and stay calm," said Hansen.

"It's hard to hold back in the early going but it was worth it. I pulled away in the end. We make it look easy but it's not. A lot of hard work went into this. The success of the rest of the U.S. team here fired me up."

Emerging American star Cullen Jones, who reportedly signed an endorsement deal with Nike potentially worth $2 million, won the men's 50-metres freestyle in a meet record 21.84 seconds.

"I couldn't ask for any more. Now I need to put more meat on these bones - more muscle," said the lanky Cullen.

Athens Olympics multi-medallist and 50-metre short-course world record holder Roland Schoeman of South Africa came into the Pan Pacs aiming for former Russian great Alexander Popov's 50-metres long-course record of 21.64 from 2000, but fell short in his quest and settled for silver in 22.12.

Canadian record-holder Brent Hayden of Mission, B.C., the Pan Pacs gold medallist in the 100-metre freestyle, captured the bronze medal in 22.22.

"This shows that my (national record) 22.19 at the Commonwealth Games (in March at Melbourne) wasn't a fluke," said Hayden.

Tae Hwan Park, the 16-year-old Korean high school sensation, won his second gold medal of the meet - the first two golds ever won by Korea at a major international swim meet. Park took the men's 1,500 metres in 15:06.11 while 17-year-old Ryan Cochrane of Victoria, who graduated last spring from Claremont Secondary, turned in a solid showing by placing fourth in 15:13.44.

Eight of the 19 nations won medals with the almost frighteningly powerful U.S. team winning 44 medals, a quietly emerging Japanese team 24, an under-strength Aussie squad 16, host Canada seven, Korea and South Africa four each and Brazil and a strangely quiet Chinese team two each.

In the gold standard, the U.S. ruled supreme with 24 gold medals to three for Japan, two each for Canada, Australia and Korea and one for South Africa. The Star Spangled Banner almost became the new theme song for SCP.

"The meet was so smoothly run that we just went out and had a blast," said American world-record setter Hansen.

It was a blast, for sure, and a blast-off out of the blocks. And it isn't over yet. The Pan Pacs open-water 10K - the event makes its Olympic debut at Beijing - was set for Monday on Elk Lake.

Then it's off to Southern California for the 2010 Pan Pacs. But not before a few stopovers on the other side of the Pacific in Melbourne next year for the 2007 worlds and Beijing the year after for that little five-ring party.

Haverford's Hansen makes more history

John Lohn, Of the Times Staff

One day, Brendan Hansen will slow down. That's the nature of stopwatch sports. For now, though, the Haverford High School graduate is getting better with age, and his swimming career is at an all-time high. Five days after celebrating his 25th birthday, Hansen lowered his world record in the 200 breaststroke while racing at the Pan Pacific Championships Sunday night in Victoria, British Columbia. The performance marked Hansen's third world record of the month.

Seeded first heading into the championship final, Hansen took control of the race from the start and completed the four-lap affair in 2:08.50, well under the 2:08.74 he produced at the United States Nationals during the first week of August.

After hitting the wall, Hansen celebrated with a "yeah" and a punch of the water at the Saanich Commonwealth Place pool. In a span of 15 days, Hansen has hacked .54 off the global standard in the 200 breast. He started the summer with the mark sitting at 2:09.04, his time from the 2004 Olympic Trials.

Hansen's latest world mark arrived in contrast to the record-breaking swim he popped at Nationals. Hansen was off his record pace at the 50-, 100 and 150-meter marks, but used a scorching back half to make history.

At the midpoint of the race, Hansen was .68 behind his record pace from Irvine, Calif. He pulled to with .28 at the 150-meter mark and covered the final length in 33.38. He was followed in second place by Japan's Kosuke Kitajima, who turned in a time of 2:10.87. Third place went to American Scott Usher in 2:11.49.

Kitajima has been a long-time rival of Hansen's and held the world records in the 100 and 200 breaststroke events prior to Hansen. Kitajima won double-gold at the Athens Olympics, including a controversial decision of Hansen in the 100 distance, but Hansen has won their last three meetings to take the upper hand in convincing fashion.

Before defeating Kitajima twice at the Pan Pacific Championships, Hansen knocked off the Japanese star in the 100 breast at last summer's World Championships in Montreal.

Earlier in the meet, Hansen won the 100 breast in 59.90, but indicated that he made a handful of mistakes during the race. Clearly, the four-time All-Delco selection made the necessary corrections. Hansen now owns the three-fastest 200 breast times in history and seven of the swiftest 13 times in the event.

To put Hansen's dominance into perspective, his world record of 59.13 in the 100 breast is .40 quicker than Kitajima's personal best. As for the 200, Kitajima's top swim is .92 off Hansen's newly established world record.

With the Pan Pacific Championships over, Hansen will return to training with Longhorn Aquatics, the offshoot program of the University of Texas, where he attended college. His focus will turn to March's World Championships, scheduled for Melbourne.

Prior to Hansen's record in the 200 breaststroke, American Michael Phelps lowered his global standard in the 200 individual medley with a clocking of 1:55.84. That time held off teammate Ryan Lochte (1:56.11) and bettered the 1:55.94 that Phelps posted in 2003.

Men's 200 Breast

If seeing the soles of his feet isn't enough to fuel Kosuke Kitajima's (JPN) next 2 years of training, maybe the new world record will be. Brendan Hansen (USA) again lowered his own world record to 2:08.50. The 2 men were close at the 100 with Hansen splitting 1:02.26 to Kitajima's 1:02.77. By the 150 Hansen had a stroke lead, but he blew the Olympic champ out of the water on the last 50 as Kitajima faded to a 2:10.87. "My race strategy was to take it out a bit slower than Nationals. It was hard to trust myself and hold back, but it sure felt good at the end. We make those world records look easy, but a lot of hard work went into that."

Hansen shatters own world record at Pan Pacific Swimming Championships

VICTORIA, British Columbia -- A former University of Texas swimmer rewrote his own world record for the second time in as many nights Sunday evening at the 2006 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships at the Saanich Commonwealth Place Pool.

Former Longhorn Brendan Hansen, who broke his own 100- and 200-meter breaststroke world records earlier this month at the 2006 ConocoPhillips USA Swimming National Championships, broke his 200-meter breaststroke world record once again on Sunday. Hansen touched the wall in 2 minutes, 8.50 seconds, topping his previous world-record time of 2:08.74 set on Aug. 5 in Irvine, Calif.

Notably, Hansen's record-breaking swim marks the fifth occasion this month that a former Longhorn has broken a world record either single-handedly or as part of a relay. On Saturday, Aug. 19, Aaron Peirsol broke his own 200-meter backstroke world record at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, and Neil Walker helped add another world record for Team USA by swimming the second leg of the 4x100-meter freestyle relay.

Also Sunday evening, Hansen and Peirsol teamed up with former UT All-American Ian Crocker and Jason Lezak to help Team USA to gold in the 4x100-meter medley relay. Peirsol swam the opening backstroke leg before giving way to Hansen at breaststroke. Crocker followed in the butterfly before Lezak closed out the victory for the Americans with a meet-record time of 3:31.79. The second-place team from Japan finished nearly four seconds behind the American team comprised almost entirely of Longhorns.

UT sophomore Michael Klueh (Evansville, Ind.) finished second in his 1500-meter freestyle heat, clocking 15:20.87.

Interview with Kosuke Kitajima This is a premium article at Swimming World so I won't post all of it but here are some of the better snippets...

These days, though, Kitajima isn't what he was. He has battled some knee injuries and some illness and reports from Japan suggest his motivation level isn't what it once was. His biggest problem, however, is Hansen, who has changed the nature of the breaststroke by taking the 100 and 200 world records to ridiculously low levels.

snip

It's gotten to a point where questions have arisen as to whether Kitajima will be able to regain his past form. And, even if he can match his personal-best times of 59.53 (100) and 2:09.42 (200), those swims do not compare to what Hansen has recently produced.

snip

With his responses, Kitajima seemed unwilling to delve into whether he will catch up to the risen bar established by his American competitor.

SWM.com: What did you think about Brendan Hansen setting a pair of world records at the USA National Championships?
Kosuke: My motivation really went up when I saw that Brendan broke both of those world records.

SWM.com: What did you feel about the 100-meter breaststroke earlier this week?
Kosuke: During the 100-meter breaststroke, Brendan was very fast at the first 50-meter mark. I want to race against him next time in that 100-meter breaststroke.

SWM.com: What changes do you think you need to make to compete against Hansen?
Kosuke: After watching Brendan in the first 50 meters, I have to focus more on the first 50 meters of the 100-meter breaststroke.

Phelps leads dominant U.S. swim team at Pan Pacs

VICTORIA, British Columbia (AP) _ It was more than ``The Michael Phelps Show'' for the United States at the Pan Pacific Championships.

Sure, Phelps won six medals and set three world records. But teammate Natalie Coughlin matched him with six medals and teenager Katie Hoff earned five.

``We went out there and had a blast,'' said Brendan Hansen, who set a world record and swept both breaststroke events. ``We showed how the U.S. can feed off each other and work as a team, not individuals.''

The United States displayed its tremendous depth by winning a leading 44 medals, including 24 gold. The Americans swept the six relays, too.

Japan earned 24 medals, including three golds. Australia had 16 medals and two golds courtesy of butterflyer Jess Schipper.

Canada's Brent Hayden earned four of his country's seven medals.

Of course, it was hardly a fair fight.

While the American team was loaded with stars, the Aussies brought one of their youngest groups ever to an international meet. Japan had lots of youngsters, too.

China kept its top talent home, sending 13 swimmers, who earned two medals.

``We know many of our friends had development teams here, so we can look forward to facing some different competition,'' said Mark Schubert, U.S. national team coach. ``We've seen a lot of faces here that will be heard from in Beijing.''

Schipper set one of the meet's six world marks, in the 200 fly. Among the Aussie stars skipping Pan Pacs were Ian Thorpe, Grant Hackett, Leisel Jones and Libby Lenton.

``We believed we could win a certain number of medals, and we exceeded that,'' Australian head coach Alan Thompson said. ``It's really served us well and it's going to hold us in good stead in the future.''

American Aaron Peirsol handed Phelps his only defeat in six races with a world-record time in the 200 backstroke.

For the first time in three years, Phelps lowered his world marks in the 200 fly and 200 individual medley. He led off the U.S. 400 free relay, which won in record time. His other victories were the 400 IM and 800 free relay.

``Just getting back to a world record is really special,'' Phelps said Sunday after his last race. ``It gives me something to get excited for getting back in the water (to train).''

The meet stoked the ongoing rivalry between Hansen and Kosuke Kitajima of Japan.

Hansen lowered his own world record in the 200 breaststroke Sunday for the second time in two weeks, while Kitajima finished second. Hansen won the 100 event, with Kitajima third.

``It's a good thing that I have a target to chase,'' Kitajima said through an interpreter. ``I would like to challenge him in a world championship once again.''

Bring it on, Hansen said.

``I'm glad he's not just rolling over and going back to bed, but the thing is, I'm not slowing down,'' he said.

Hansen has carried an admitted chip on his shoulder since Kitajima beat him twice at the 2004 Athens Olympics, where the American settled for bronze in both breaststroke events.

Coughlin showed she's retained her form from the 2004 Athens Olympics, where she won five medals.

In Victoria, she won three relays, and finished first in the 100 free, second in the 50 free and second in the 100 back.

``I'm a little bit disappointed with my backstroke, but fortunately, my freestyle was really on, so I can leave this meet with some excitement,'' she said.

Rising U.S. star Cullen Jones won the 50 freestyle Sunday in 21.84 seconds, a Pan Pac record, and in the process gained a new rival _ Olympic bronze medalist Roland Schoeman of South Africa, who was second.

``Cullen who?'' Schoeman said dismissively after the 50 preliminaries.

Jones was part of the Phelps-led U.S. team that broke South Africa's 2-year-old world record in the 400 freestyle relay.

Schoeman was ticked at U.S. relay swimmer Neil Walker's comment about the record being back where it belongs.

``They've got some of the best swimmers in the world and for them to take two years to break our record, come on. Catch up, you guys,'' Schoeman said.

Asked if he was on Schoeman's radar now, Jones said, ``Roland didn't really know who I was coming into this meet. He was asking around about me. Hopefully, it's a good thing because it's just competition and he and I can still be civil.''

South Korean teenager Tae Hwan Park emerged as a contender, winning his country's only gold medals in the 400 and 1,500 freestyles.

Y'all know I'm a Roland fan but come on, that was kinda unnecessary.

2:08.50!

ANOTHER WORLD RECORD!

Not a Slow Summer: Hansen Sets Two More World Records
Not exactly accurate but Amy Shipley's high on my list of favorite writers now because she's such a hard core Brendan fan (even giving him an extra WR in the 100 this week, haha.) . And there's a photo if you follow the link.

VICTORIA, B.C., Aug. 20 - It was another run-of-the-mill meet for U.S. breaststroker Brendan Hansen: two individual events, two world records.

Three days after lowering his world record in the 100-meter breaststroke, Hansen did the same in the 200. At the U.S. championships three weeks ago, Hansen accomplished the same double, meaning he has set four world records in August.

After the race, Hansen, 25, began plotting his next assault on the record books. "Right now, I have to go back to the drawing board to see how low I can make these records," he said.

Hansen, who trains in Austin under coach Eddie Reese, finished in 2 minutes 8.50 seconds, knocking .24 of a second off of his world mark.

Phelps and Hansen set new world records

Hansen lowered his own record in the 200 meters breaststroke, winning the event in 2:08.50 to eclipse his previous time of 2:08.74.

"We make it look easy but it's really hard," Hansen told reporters. "A lot of hard work went in to that."

Hansen tops own 200 breast world record

VICTORIA, British Columbia - Brendan Hansen lowered his own world record in the 200-meter breaststroke for the second time in two weeks, beating Olympic champion Kosuke Kitajima of Japan at the Pan Pacific Championships Sunday night.

Hansen led all the way and touched in 2 minutes, 08.50 seconds - slicing 0.24 seconds off the mark he set Aug. 5 at the U.S. national championships in Irvine, Calif.

Hansen checked his time on the scoreboard, shouted "Yeaaah!" and punched the water with fist, sending a spray into the air.

Kitajima took the silver in 2:10.87. American Scott Usher earned bronze in 2:16.49.

Hansen has carried an admitted chip on his shoulder since Kitajima beat him twice at the 2004 Athens Olympics, where the American settled for bronze in both breaststroke events.

Two weeks ago, Hansen also lowered his own mark in the 100 breast.

Former Longhorn Hansen lowers own record in 200 breaststroke

In the men's 200 breaststroke, Hansen led all the way and touched in 2:08.50 — slicing 0.24 seconds off the mark he set Aug. 5 at the U.S. national championships in Irvine, Calif. Kitajima took the silver in 2:10.87. American Scott Usher earned bronze in 2:16.49.

Hansen has carried an admitted chip on his shoulder since Kitajima beat him twice at the 2004 Athens Olympics, where the American settled for bronze in both breaststroke events.

Hansen also won the 100 breast in Victoria. Kitajima was third.

Hansen Drops 200 Breast World Record for Second Time in Month

VICTORIA, British Columbia, Aug. 20. BRENDAN Hansen is so good at his chosen stroke, he can even toy with the crowd en route to setting world records. At the 150-meter mark, Hansen sat .28 off his world-record pace in the event set at the 2006 ConocoPhillips USA Swimming National Championships on August 5. Hansen, however, turned on the steam in the final 50 meters to shave .24 seconds off his previous global standard of 2:08.74 with a scintillating 2:08.50 at the 2006 Mutual of Omaha Pan Pacific Championships.

After clocking a 29.10 split to open the initial 50 meters of the race, Hansen crossed the second 50 meters in 33.16 for a halfway time of 1:02.26. Hansen picked up the pace in the third 50 meters with a 32.86 split for a 1:35.12 at the 150-meter mark. He then brought it home with a 33.38 in the final 50 for the record in 2:08.50.

In comparison, Hansen went sub-29 seconds in his previous world-record time with a 28.87. He then clocked a 32.71 split for a 1:01.58 time at the 100-meter mark. Hansen then slowed a bit during the third 50 meters with a 33.26 for a 1:34.84 at the 150-meter point. He closed out the swim with a 33.90 split en route to a 2:08.74.

"My race strategy tonight was to take it out a little slower than I did at Nationals," Hansen said. "It was hard for me to hold back that much, but it sure felt good that last 50. That's what we were looking for tonight. The way the U.S. guys have been swimming this meet really fired me up."

Meanwhile, former world-record holder Kosuke Kitajima was Hansen's closest spectator with a silver-medal 2:10.87, while American Scott Usher turned in a bronze-winning 2:11.49.

Incidentally, Hansen's effort also cleared his meet record of 2:10.37 set during prelims.

Phelps and Hansen break own world records

"My race was to take it out a bit slower than I did at the national, but it was hard to hold back," Hansen said. "I knew if I swam the race right I would have a lot left in the tank."

There are some really great reaction shots of him tonight that I'll get added to the gallery ASAP and John Lohn has an article coming out for the Delco Times tomorrow that I'll get posted as soon as I get it.

Pan Pacs Gallery Now Open

I've also added more pics to the Nationals gallery.

Pan Pacs was pretty exciting tonight. A new Course Record from Ian Crocker in the 100 Fly, a new world record from Aaron Peirsol in the 200 Back and a new World Record from the men's 4x100 Relay team. Look how excited Neil and Mike are! It's hard to believe Neil is 30 with that baby face. To read more about fellow Longhorns Ian, Aaron and Neil you can visit their respective websites - IanCrockerOnline.com, AaronPeirsolOnline.com and Swimwalker.com.



Some Pan Pacs Links:

Sports in Brief | Hansen wins 100 breaststroke at Pan Pacific

World-record holder Brendan Hansen won the 100-meter breaststroke with the only sub-one-minute time in the Pan Pacific championships last night in Victoria, British Columbia.

Hansen, who is from Havertown, finished in 59.90 seconds to set a meet record, bettering the record of 1 minute, 0.17 seconds he swam in morning preliminaries.

Swimming: Kitajima 3rd in 100 breaststroke at Pan-Pacs

Kyodo) _ Japan's Athens Olympic double gold medalist Kosuke Kitajima was upstaged by American rival Brendan Hansen and finished third in the men's 100 meters breaststroke at the Pan-Pacific Championships on Friday.

Kitajima, whose preparations for the meet have been disrupted by illness, clocked 1 minute, 00.90 seconds, to finish behind world record holder Hansen (59.90) and Brendan Rickard of Australia (1:00.39)

Kitajima's time was 00.03 seconds slower than in his heat but all but guaranteed him a place on the Japan squad for next year's world championships in Melbourne, Australia.

"I really gave it my all but ran out of steam at the end," said Kitajima. "I wanted to show a good swim but was on the back foot from the start."

"Still, I've cleared the qualifying time set for the worlds and just have to be positive and look forward," he added.

American's set 2 World Records and new meet record at Pan Pacs

It was Peirsol's swim that gave the team a lift after what had been a so-so night for the Americans up to that point. Peirsol was ahead of world record pace from the very first 50, and pushed by Phelps in the next lane, steadily built on that margin throughout the race. He touched the wall close to two and a half seconds ahead of the rest of the field.

Phelps was second in 1:56.81, while Japan's Tomomi Morita was third in 1:58.53. The United States' Hongzhe Sun was 10th swimming in the "B" final in 2:00.54.

"That was really special," Peirsol said. "I'll tell you, it never gets old. I felt great the whole way. It was just an amazing race. I just don't know to say."

Peirsol has not lost the 200m back since the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, where he won silver behind teammate Lenny Krayzelburg. When asked on television how long he expects his streak to continue, Peirsol drew laughs from the crowd.

"I plan on retiring when I'm 50," he said.

In other events, Ian Crocker won the Americans' first gold medal Saturday, winning the men's 100m butterfly with a meet record time of 51.47. A pair of Japanese swimmers, Ryo Takayasu and Takashi Yamamoto finished second and third, with times of 52.59 and 52.71. American Davis Tarwater was sixth in 53.55, while Daniel Madwed was 15th in 54.46.

In typical fashion, Crocker jumped out to a quick lead and led the race from start to finish.

"I was happy with the result, I just wish my time would've been a little better," Crocker said.

Y'all don't forget to watch the 200 Breaststroke tomorrow! And we'll be following it in BHO Chat tomorrow night, so join us for the fun!

Hansen Lowers Own Meet Record in 100 Breast

VICTORIA, British Columbia, Aug. 18. BRENDAN Hansen not only posted the only sub-minute time of finals in the 100-meter breaststroke at the 2006 Mutual of Omaha Pan Pacific Championships, he also lowered his meet record of 1:00.17 set during prelims with a 59.90.

After setting the world record in the event with a 59.13 at the ConocoPhillips USA Swimming National Championships earlier this month, Hansen's attempt at breaking it in two consecutive meets came close.

Meanwhile, Australia's Brenton Rickard captured silver in 1:00.39, while Japan's Kosuke Kitajima snared bronze in 1:00.90.

At the end of the race, the United States moved its medal total to 14 (9G, 5S), while Japan increased its second-place tally to nine (1G, 2S, 6B). Australia sat in third with seven (1G, 2S, 4B).

Canadian Hayden Upsets Lezak in 100 Free

World record-holder Brendan Hansen of the United States won the 100-meter breaststroke with the only sub-1 minute effort at the Pan Pacific Championships on Friday night.

He finished in 59.90 seconds to set a Pan Pac record, topping the meet record of 1:00.17 he swam in morning preliminaries.

He was chased the whole way by longtime rival Kosuke Kitajima of Japan, who said his pre-meet training had been disrupted by a fever and sore throat that required hospitalization.

Brenton Rickard of Australia took the silver in 1:00.39 and Kitajima settled for bronze in 1:00.90.

Hansen didn't make a run at lowering the world record he set Aug. 5 at the U.S. national championships in Irvine, Calif. That week he also lowered his world mark in the 200 breaststroke.

"Mentally, to come off a major meet like I did in the United States and then to come up here and try and compete, it's been really tough," he said.

Hansen Wants Perfection

U.S. swimmer Brendan Hansen has been swimming so well lately he won the gold medal in the 100 breaststroke in course-record time and looked positively disgusted with himself after the race.

Hansen said he could have knocked more than a half second off of his winning time if he hadn't made "age-group mistakes" such as rushing his stroke. Hansen's time of 59.90 gave him an easy victory over Australia's Brenton Rickard (1:00.39) and Japan's Kosuke Kitajima (1:00.90) but it fell short of his world record (59.13).

"I made a few mistakes early in the race that cost me," Hansen said. "No matter how good you are, how good you get, you always make mistake. I've got to find a way to fix them."

Team USA takes golds in Day 2

Like the 100m free, the women's 100m breaststroke was a nail biter with the United States in one-two positions. Tara Kirk touched out teammate Megan Jendrick by only two one-hundredths of a second, clocking a 1:07.56 for gold. Sarah Katsoulis of Australia took third.

Brendan Hansen then charged off the blocks to break the PanPac record he set during prelims Friday by taking first in the men's 100m breaststroke finals with a time of 59.90. Australia' Brenton Rickard and Japan's Kosuke Kitajima followed behind for silver and bronze, respectively. Team USA's Scott Usher took fourth.

Night two recap from Timed Finals

"I'm pretty happy with that," said Hansen. "It's hard to come off our nationals just a few weeks ago, but any chance you've got to go under a minute, is great." After doing his best at trials, Hansen had to make some quick adjustments. "You have to renegotiate your goals, but I just wanted to come here and swim fast and have fun."

Phelps, Hoff Win 3rd Golds at Pan Pacs

"It's not just `The Michael Phelps Show," American Brendan Hansen said. "Everyone is stepping up and doing their job."

snip

World record-holder Hansen won the 100 breaststroke with the only sub-1 minute effort.

He finished in 59.90 seconds to set a Pan Pac record, topping the meet record of 1:00.17 he swam in morning preliminaries.

He was chased the whole way by longtime rival Kosuke Kitajima of Japan, who said his pre-meet training had been disrupted by a fever and sore throat that required hospitalization.

"It was hard to be able to come back to this level," he said through a translator. "With this finish, I'm not really satisfied."

Brenton Rickard of Australia took the silver in 1:00.39 and Kitajima settled for bronze in 1:00.90.

Hansen didn't make a run at lowering the world record he set Aug. 5 at the U.S. national championships in Irvine, Calif. That week he also lowered his world mark in the 200 breaststroke.

"I was rushing my stroke too much and not getting my legs into it," he said. "I was a little jittery having those guys in the final. I made a few mistakes early that cost me five, sixth-tenths of a second."

Phelps and friends blitz meet

Brendan Hansen of the United States, the world record-holder in the 100 breaststroke, qualified in 1:00.17, setting a championship record. He bettered the old mark of 1:00.34 set by Olympic champion Kosuke Kitajima of Japan, who was third-quickest.

I'll post more as it comes. WHEEE! GO BRENDAN!

Pan Pacs Continues...

Lucky shirt. Check.
Lucky earrings. Check.
Lucky Brendan charm. Check.



The 100 Breaststroke is the 4th event scheduled. Prelim this morning and Final tonight. Follow it all live on Omega Timing. Woot!

GO BRENDAN GO!

Brendan Hansen Focused on Every Opportunity

I was able to get a chance to talk to Brendan Hansen briefly this evening, and he talked about how at the US Nationals his swims were good, his times were great, but he never quite felt "it." But that has changed. Hansen has a bounce in his step that surprisingly you would have thought he would have all along after breaking two world records. His excitement level is high, and he gets a big smile when he talks about how his legs are finally "coming around" (swimmer speak for feeling rested) and are "popping."

He said don't be surprised to see him break out Friday morning in his 100 breastroke preliminary race. He says that it is going to be real competitive, and he does not want to take any chances. Don't count out a sub-minute swim from Hansen to start off his meet right.

Phelps and Schipper broke world records in the 200 Fly last night

OMG PAN PACS START TODAY!

More links...

Follow it all Live with Omega Timing

Phelps Confronts A Rising U.S. Tide

Michael Phelps seems to sense it: At the moment, he is not considered the most unbeatable swimmer on the U.S. team. He remains the most prolific, winning five national titles two weeks ago, but pool mates Brendan Hansen and Aaron Piersol have surpassed him in pure dominance.

Brown knows about up hill battles

Hansen, of Havertown, Pa., lowered the time on both his breaststroke records at the recent U.S. national championships. He thinks he can do even better this week.

"I wanted to break them by a lot," he said. "I chipped away at them a little bit.

"I think there's more in the tank. I'm going to go into the Pan-Pacs with an opening mind and hopefully go for some best times."

Phelps in class by himself at Pan Pac swimming

Japan has Kosuke Kitajima, who swept the breaststroke events in Athens, but he is coming off a sore throat and fever that required hospitalization and disrupted his training.

He will go head-to-head with American rival Brendan Hansen, who lowered both breaststroke world records nearly two weeks ago in Irvine, Calif.

"This situation is not perfect,'' Kitajima said through a translator. "I came here to compete with Brendan and I'm not at my best. His record is becoming faster and faster. I would like to make those kind of records as well.'

First Take on the Pan Pacs Swimming Facilities

With delays to construction, though, the organizers had to find a solution in the same geographic region to move the competition to. That location was Victoria. But I am bewildered at the state of the facility. While the pool is a pool (water does not change), the spectator area amazed me. There is probably seating for 800 to a thousand… not all that much space for what the swimming world would consider a major international competition.

Just to put it into perspective for all you non-swimmers, think moving the Super Bowl after Hurricane Katrina to a local high school football (American football) field.

OMG PAN PACS START TOMORROW!

This week has totally snuck up on me. I still have to do my predictions, and wash my BHO shirt and get my lucky earrings polished, etc. etc.

Some links...

Fast times expected from Phelps

US stars Michael Phelps and Brendan Hansen expect big things from China and fast times from themselves when the Pan Pacific Swim Championships begins on Thursday.

Victoria meet seen as yardstick

World-class swimmers to race here

So Many Birthdays...

You are surely Brendan's best looking and most charming brother. I hope you have a great day with your friends and family. XOXOX

Happy Birthday to Laura too and belated wishes to Summer, Jessica and Maria who celebrated over the weekend. I hope you all had/have great days!

Happy Birthdday Brendan!

I was going to make a big birthday graphic but then I got this lovely new wallpaper from Alexa and decided to use it instead. Thanks Alexa.



A donation to LRF would be a great way to say Happy Birthday to Brendan and show him how much you appreciate his efforts. He's notified of every donation you make.

A New Appreciation for the Specialist

By Tito Morales

LOS ANGELES, Calif., Aug. 14. IN this unprecedented age of versatility, it is refreshing to see that the swimmer who made the biggest impact at the recent 2006 ConocoPhillips USA Swimming National Championships was a specialist, Brendan Hansen.

It seems that ever since Natalie Coughlin and Michael Phelps burst upon the scene, there has been a shift in focus to the renaissance swimmer. The biggest accolades in recent years have been heaped upon those who flaunt the most diverse repertoire. Kaitlin Sandeno, Ryan Lochte, Katie Hoff - they, along with Phelps and Coughlin, can mount the blocks with apparent ease in just about any stroke, and at any distance, and pretty much turn heads.

Ours has become the era of the aquatic pentathlete, but there's something incredibly noble about the man who uncovers his true strength, and then steadfastly sets about maximizing it from one year to the next.

Brendan Hansen is like the classical pianist who keeps rehearsing the same two sonatas, not because he's incapable of playing any other pieces but because he yearns to see how far he can elevate his mastery. He's like the uncelebrated archeologist who spends an entire lifetime uncovering a single excavation site, and he's like the champion boxer who refuses to move up or down in weight class, despite the promise of greater riches, because he's convinced that no matter how much success he's already found there's always the promise of so much more.

The beauty isn't in the razzle-dazzle; it's in the inspiring level of discipline.

Between the lanelines, Hansen's strength and grace are disguised beneath the surface of the water. He moves across the pool as if he was the centerpiece of an elaborate magician's trick. It seems improbable, in fact, that anyone can cover so much ground so quickly without the use of splashing limbs. One can't help but strain to see where, in fact, all the pulleys and wires are hidden.

When Hansen mills about either before or after a race, however, it's evident from a glance where his power comes from. With his physique, he looks for all the world to have emerged from the pages of a DC comic book. Factor in his humble demeanor and his uncanny sportsmanship - he refused to engage the media in Athens when he fell victim to some dubious officiating - and one wonders whether he's an all-grown-up, modern-day Jack Armstrong.

To be sure, though, Hansen's has not been an easy road. Four years before the controversy of Greece, he missed making the 2000 U.S. Olympic team by the slimmest of margins. If nothing else, the guy epitomizes resilience.

Hansen approaches his two events as if they're the only ones on earth. His level of proficiency with what many consider to be the most confounding of strokes is uncanny. Far from wearying of such a narrow pursuit, he actually appears, over time, to be growing more and more impassioned about his specialty.

The payback for such unflagging focus? Ownership of a fresh pair of world records, earning the title of world champion, and raising the bar to such unprecedented heights that he is nearly swimming in a pool all his own. When Hansen set the world record in the 200-meter breaststroke on Aug. 5, for instance, his split for the opening 100 meters was 1:01.58 - a time that would have earned him fifth place in the finals of the 100-meter breaststroke held just days before.

Quite simply, Hansen has come to rule the breaststroke, and his fiefdom is such that it's doubtful that the likes of Phelps or Lochte, two of the most well-rounded swimmers in history, will be crossing his moat anytime soon to challenge his supremacy. They both know better.

Hansen recently earned USA Today's U.S. Olympic Athlete of the Week. Given the level of his swimming in Irvine, though, I, personally, would have forgone both the "U.S." and "Olympic" part of the announcement and simply honored him as the World Athlete of the Week. What more, after all, could he have possibly done?

You'll never hear Hansen himself complain about such semantics, however, he's no doubt already back at work trying even harder to improve upon his breaststroke.

So here's to a specialist's specialist. May he continue to find the success that he so richly deserves.

Psych Sheet for Pan Pacs is up!

So it's time for another prediction contest, WOOT! Lemme just cut and paste the instructions from last time for any newbies who'd like to give it a try...

Predict the top 3 finishers in each event. You can post your predictions all at once or day by day as long as they are posted before the prelim starts for that event. Same with revisions. You can revise your predictions at any time before the prelims, but if you do please repost the entire list as it makes it easier for me to keep track when I go to score everyone. And as we did last time, you can post a top 4 if you want and if one of your top 3 scratches I'll slide the others up.

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 makes the final but doesn't finish in the top 3

Event 1 - Women's 1500 Free
Event 2 - Men's 800 Free
Event 3 - Women's 200 Free
Event 4 - Men's 200 Free
Event 5 - Women's 100 Backstroke
Event 6 - Men's 100 Backstroke
Event 7 - Women's 200 Fly
Event 8 - Men's 200 Fly
Event 9 - Women's 100 Free
Event 10 - Men's 100 Free
Event 11 - Women's 100 Breast
Event 12 - Men's 100 Breast
Event 13 - Women's 400 IM
Event 14 - Men's 400 IM
Event 15 - Women's 800 Free Relay
Event 16 - Men's 800 Free Relay
Event 17 - Women's 400 Free
Event 18 - Men's 400 Free
Event 19 - Women's 100 Fly
Event 20 - Men's 100 Fly
Event 21 - Women's 200 Back
Event 22 - Men's 200 Back
Event 23 - Women's 400 Free Relay
Event 24 - Men's 400 Free RElay
Event 25 - Women's 200 IM
Event 26 - Men's 200 IM
Event 27 - Women's 50 Free
Event 28 - Men's 50 Free
Event 29 - Women's 200 Breast
Event 30 - Men's 200 Breast
Event 31 - Women's 800 Free
Event 32 - Men's 1500 Free
Event 33 - Women's 400 Medley Relay
Event 34 - Men's 400 Medley Relay
Event 35 - Women's 10k Open Water
Event 36 - Men's 10k Open Water

There are a few more events than usual because I left the relays in and there is the new 10k Open Water race that we need to start brushing up on before Beijing. From a cursory glance at the psych sheet I'd say the winners of the 10k will likely be from New Zealand or Australia. ;)

Some Related Links:

Pan Pacs Website

Schipper expected to play lone hand
Youth thrown into deep end
More from Google

Wow. Check out those shorts.

The folks at WCSN have been really great about posting all these videos on You Tube for us so that I can link them here. If you'd like to give them a shout of appreciation you can do so here.

The latest from John Lohn...

IRVINE, Calif. -- The two-year countdown to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing began Tuesday, quietly and without fanfare from the majority of the world. The Chinese proclaimed a smooth preparation process, a positive development considering the many woes -- logistical, construction and security -- that plagued Athens in the leadup to the 2004 Games.

In 24 months, the Great Wall and Tiananmen Square will be regular sites during Olympic coverage, much like the Acropolis served as a backdrop in Athens. Until then, the Beijing Games will approach in tiptoe fashion.

Well, except for the athletes seeking that every-fourth-year success that can define a career. Each day is precious, a stepping stone toward fulfilling a lifelong dream. One slip-up can be disastrous. Bad luck can be damning.

Brendan Hansen knows the routine, having been through it once and, now, in the middle of a second go-round.

Last Saturday, less than five minutes after breaking his second world record of the United States National Championships at the William Woollett Aquatic Center, Hansen referenced the next Olympiad. He's done that only a handful of times since Athens, where he won a medal of each color. Until now, there hasn't been much reason to discuss Beijing, not with the Games so far away.

But, in the context of dissecting his world-record swim in the 200 breaststroke, the Haverford High product, whose swimming exploits have taken him around the globe, made it known where his focus rests. All along, Hansen has been thinking long-term.

"There are some little things I can do better," Hansen said. "We'll just keep working toward 2008."

Like there was any doubt.

Before Hansen spent the first five days of August in Irvine, Calif., his finest exploits arrived about a 30-minute drive north on the 405. When he arrived at the 2004 Olympic Trials in Long Beach, Hansen was the heavy favorite to earn berths to Greece in the 100 and 200 breaststroke events. By the time he was done, he had world records in both races and an enhanced profile.

Two years later, Hansen has risen to another level, hardly an easy feat considering the spectacular nature of his past accomplishments. Usually, world-record swims cut the littlest of time off former standards, a hundredth here and a hundredth there. Hansen, though, removes chunks.

En route to his 59.13 outing in the 100 breast, Hansen lopped .17 off his world record. Four days later, he took the 200 breast world record under 2:09 for the first time, as his 2:08.74 slashed .30 off the old mark.

The only world-record setter at Nationals, Hansen was in high demand throughout the week, the focus of the assembled media. While several title-winners cut their interviews short in order to warm down, Hansen was an engaging subject who spoke at length, mixing in-depth responses with humor.

In between his swims, he took part in an underwater cover shoot for the October issue of Swimming World magazine. He signed autographs for close to two hours on an off day. Two days ago, he participated in a USA Swimming teleconference.

It was suggested in this column space in late July that Hansen is the greatest athlete to emerge from Delaware County, having taken that honor from Leroy Burrell, formerly the world's fastest man and named Delco's Athlete of the Millennium in 1999. Two weeks later, that argument has been strengthened.

Hansen's four individual world records are double the 100-meter dash standards produced by Burrell. More, Hansen has three Olympic medals to the one of the Penn Wood graduate, and Hansen has two individual medals to zero for Burrell. The torch between two Olympians has been passed.

In the stopwatch sports, most notably swimming and track, one question tends to arise more than most: How much faster can these guys go? Hansen was presented that query in Irvine and didn't hesitate with his answer.

"There's more in the tank," he said.

So next week, Hansen will go back to work at the Pan Pacific Championships in Victoria, British Columbia, hoping to take an eraser to the not-yet-dry records he just set. He believes he can go 58 in the 100. He says a 2:07 for the 200 isn't far off. He's probably right.

Hansen will turn 25 in three days and holds veteran status on Team USA. As his performances indicate, he's getting better with age, a combination of his continued hard work and the best health he's known in some time. That he's surging at this point in his career suggests he'll remain in top form by the time Beijing rolls around.

After Pan Pacs, Hansen will begin preparation for next year's World Championships in Melbourne. That meet is scheduled for March and figures to be the last major international competition for Hansen until the Olympics. Yes, the countdown to China has begun. Maybe not for the average person, but certainly for a man who has had the event on his radar since the summer of 2004.

"I'm looking at 2008," he said from Athens, the day after his first Olympiad ended. "I still think I have a lot to prove. This is what I love."

More Photos Added to the Nationals Gallery

Thanks Terrie and Teagan!

PAN PACS!

Pan Pacs start next Thursday. Brendan's 100 Breaststroke will be on Friday, August 18th and the 200 on Sunday, August 20th. GO BRENDAN!

So far the BHOer's going to Pan Pacs that I've heard from are Jesse, Crea and Maxine. Anyone else? Please shoot me an email if you're going.

Pan Pacs Goodies -

Teleconference with Michael and Brendan
Pan Pacs Info from USA Swimming

Hansen, The World Record Machine
Brendan Hansen (Havertown, Pa. / Longhorn) was a world record threat coming into the 2006 National Championships last week, and he lived up to the hype, smashing both the 100m and 200m breaststroke world records. After his races, Hansen said he felt there was "still more left in the tank" - a clear indication that those records might not stay on the books for too long.

Team Roster
Event Schedule
Media Page
Live Results with Omega Timing
Television Broadcast Schedule

Brendan Hansen Shows His Compassionate Side

"I've been able to make some hospital visits and become acquainted with patients and their families who are currently living with these diseases," Hansen said. "It really caused me to take a step back and put many things into perspective. I know how fortunate I have been to have my health and I really want to do whatever I can to help."

A series of swim clinics are under development, slated for various cities throughout the country. These half-day clinics will feature Hansen as the lead clinician, and a large portion of the individual registration fees will be earmarked directly to the LRF to help finance additional research grants. A "pilot" swim clinic was held last December in suburban Chicago that attracted more than 120 participants and raised several thousand dollars for the cause.

Additional fund raising programs may include the inclusion of a premium, Brendan Hansen line of merchandise that can help raise funds for both leukemia research and for swim clubs nationwide. Hansen has been an avid supporter and national spokesman for the Leukemia Research Foundation since October 2004.

For more information, visit the Leukemia Research Foundation at www.leukemia-research.org.

I'd love to encourage everyone to make a donation to LRF in Brendan's name for his 25th Birthday coming up next week. As a suggestion, how about a dollar for every year of his life? Or a dollar for every hundredth he took off his World Records last week? ($47 if my math is correct but that is always questionable). Even if all you can afford is $5, I'm sure Brendan and the folks at LRF would be very appreciative. It's a great way to say Happy Birthday to Brendan and show him how much you appreciate his efforts. He's notified of every donation you make.

On another note, Scott Goldblatt has some great coverage of Brendan at Timed Finals. Be sure to go check it out and don't miss his little "shout out" to John Lohn. One of his posts on Brendan is built upon John's most recent article for the Delaware County Times. I guess Scott knows the good stuff when he reads it.

So much to post about...

• Don't miss the new images that I've added to the Nationals Gallery. There will be many more to come.
• Thanks to Timmay for scanning his issue of last months Splash Magazine that featured Brendan on the cover and on several pages inside. I've added them to the Magazine Scans Gallery.
• I'm going to start a Pan Pacs thread soon as I've had a couple of fans expressing interest in getting together with other BHOer's in Victoria. If you plan to be there please shoot me an email and I'll see what I can do to help out. Trust me, having a group to cheer with at an event like Pan Pacs makes it SOOO much more fun.

Brendan does commentary for the 400 IM

C Final



B Final



A Final

I kept waiting for Brendan to trash talk one of the girls strokes but he's just too damn classy. This was a great interview from Craig and Rowdy and if you're interested in learning more about what motivates Brendan then it's a must listen. Start with C and move on through A to watch them in the proper order.

Great job Brendan! Do more of that!

Catching Up...

News Links...

Brendan named USA Today's Olympic Athlete of the Week

Hansen stars in breaststroke

Tired Texan
"By November, they were looking for burial plots, they were so tired," Reese said.

Hansen Smashes World Record in 200 Breaststroke
"I think I have more in the tank. A 2:07 isn't far away."

Read more on Google

Prediction Contest Results:

Timtheswimmer 569
AimsRos 563
Andrea 555
Dana Cara 549
John 548
Tinkerbell 537
Jessie 527
lala 523
Terrie 513
Michelle 511
Blair 482

So Tim wins the Nationals Hoodie I picked up in Irvine and Blair gets the Super Duper Loser prize. Congrats to you two and thanks to everyone who participated!

WCSN had some amazing coverage of Nationals. In addition to the two videos of Brendan's races that I've posted below there are Interviews with Brendan, photos and his commentary of the Women's 400 IM with Rowdy. I'm hoping to add those to BHO for you guys in the next few days but they are all available on the WCSN website so don't miss them!

Television Broadcast schedule for Nationals