Brendan on cover of SPLASH Magazine... AGAIN!

Once again Brendan was honored with the cover of Splash Magazine! Oh should I say Brendan honored Splash magazine by allowing them to put him on the cover. Tee hee. Splash Magazine is a publication that is attached to USA Swimming.
This is she second issue in a row that BHan has been on the cover. There are also some snippets on the inside that have been added to the gallery . Find the scans
here. Thanks to Timmay for giving us the scans and MrsH for telling me about the cover.

Competition Schedule Indicates Morning Finals for Beijing Olympics

BEIJING, China, September 28. ALTHOUGH the International Olympic Committee has yet to deliver a final approval, a competition schedule distributed by the Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee to a world-press briefing indicated that the swimming finals will, indeed, be held in the morning. The possibility of that scenario unfolding has made for hot discussion over the last few months.

Shifting the swimming finals to the morning is based on a request by NBC Television. Adopting such a move would allow for the races to be shown live in primetime in the United States. Not surprisingly, there has been a considerable uproar, particularly from the international ranks. The main argument is that the athletes are being placed second in priority to the dollars of American television.

Although the distributed schedule indicates that morning finals are likely, organizers of the Beijing Games and the IOC did not confirm the change. More than 300 media members attended the press briefing, designed to inform the media of plans for the 2008 Games. The IOC is expected to render its official decision on the morning-finals possibility during a November meeting.

If morning finals become concrete, expect a number of competitions around the world to begin shifting to a morning-finals format. That alteration would allow athletes to familiarize themselves with the change. Nonetheless, next year’s World Championships in Melbourne will likely remain in its original format, with preliminaries in the morning and finals at night.

There is no official word yet, but sure looks like they are planning morning finals.

Marry, Shag, or Cliff - Anniversary Edition

The rules are easy. Just us tell who you would marry, who you would shag, and who you would toss off a cliff. No cheating. And dont be shy. This is just for fun. We know none of you would actually throw anyone off a cliff.

We are going by event-ish this time. Breaststrokers first because is there really any doubt how it will turn out?

1. Brendan Hansen - USA
2. Brenton Rickard - AUS
3. Mike Brown - CAN

Backstrokers

1. Aaron Peirsol -USA
2. Markus Rogan - AUT
3. Thomas Rupprath - GER

Freestyle

1. Simon Burnett - GBR
2. Brent Hayden - CAN
3. Ben Wildman-Tobriner - USA

Flyers

1. Ian Crocker - USA
2. Joe Bartoch - CAN
3. Davis Tarwater - USA

IMer's

1. Ryan Lochte - USA
2. Michael Phelps - USA
3. Thiago Pereira - BRA

Sprinters

1. Cullen Jones - USA
2. Nick Brunelli - USA
3. Roland Schoeman - RSA


Middle Distance Guys

1. Klete Keller - USA
2. Peter Vanderkaay - USA
3. Ian Thorpe -AUS

Milers

1. Larsen Jensen - USA
2. Grant Hackett - AUS
3. Eric Vendt - USA

Bonus Backstroke (too many hot backstrokers!)

1. Randall Bal - USA
2. Matt Welsh - AUS
3. Peter Marshall - USA

Special Category where we get to choose for Brendan...

1. Mandy Moore - USA
2. Keira Knightley - GBR
3. Write-In Candidate

Meredith, I expect you to play along too.

Texas Trio In The News?!

Thank goodness it isn't "our' Texas Trio. Our men would never do this. How dare they call these terrorist "Texas Trio!?"

Texas Trio Arrested On Terror Charges
Three men were arrested Friday on charges of supporting terrorism after they purchased 80 prepaid mobile phones from a Wal-Mart store, police said. The men, all from the Dallas area.....

When I said it was gunna be tough to find something to talk about with swimming being on a break, I didn't mean for the press could start writing things just to get our attention! Maybe it's time to get USA Swimming to do another 20 questions with B. Hansen.

There had better be some swim news happening soon, or tomorrow it may be Marry, Shag or Cliff. Thanks to Terrie for finding that little piece of ... news.

Happy Birthday to Mika!

Lala's in charge

Sometimes a girl just needs a break and thank goodness lala has agreed to take over the posting here at BHO for a bit while I focus on other things. Until further notice email sent to admin@brendanhansenonline.com will go to her and I'm sure she'd appreciate any suggestions you may have regarding content. I have no doubt that she'll do as good or better a job at keeping everything up to date as I've tried to do.

Canadian Mike Brown's Medals Have Been Stolen

Mike Brown, Brendan Hansen and Genki Imamura

On Sept. 9, Brown had his four most prized medals and an Olympic ring from Swimming Canada stolen from his Calgary condominium as well as his motorcycle and helmet, DVDs and electronic games. The medals included his 2006 Commonwealth Games gold medal and his 2005 world championship silver medal in the men's 200-metre breaststroke.

snip

"It was a heart-wrenching night," Brown said about the robbery.
"All of the other stuff you can put a price on. But there's no price for any of these medals. These medals represent all that I've done."

snip

As Brown approaches the 2007 world aquatic championships March 25 to April 1 in Melbourne, Australia, he plans to continue to train hard, but wants to enjoy the task more while making a few technical tweaks."Last year was a difficult year in terms of the mental side. I got sidetracked. I made every workout, but I didn't enjoy it. I lost confidence," he said.

snip

He also plans to travel to the University of Texas in late October to train with Hansen, who's also a good friend.
"I want to see what he does," Brown said. "Maybe he'll give me some ideas on how the fastest man in the world does it."

On an unrelated and happier note, we want to wish Dolphin and Misconduct each a very Happy Belated Birthday!

BRENDAN HANSEN - USA Swimming's Athlete of the YEAR!

DEARBORN, Michigan, September 17. WORLD-record holder and Olympic gold medalist Brendan Hansen claimed USA Swimming Athlete of the Year honors on Saturday at the United States Aquatic Sports Convention held in Dearborn, Michigan. The accolade capped an incredible year in which Hansen broke three world records and captured three gold medals at the 2006 Mutual of Omaha Pan Pacific Championships.
"This award means a lot to me, but I think what means even more, are the people I'm here [swimming] with....Please just support us in 2008, because we're going to come out with guns firing." Hansen said. Later in his speech, Hansen joked, "You have to break three world records just to be in consideration for this award."

Hansen started his record-breaking year by setting the American record in the 200-yard breaststroke at the American Short Course Championships in Austin, Texas, in March. In August at the ConocoPhillips USA Swimming National Championships, Hansen set two world records, in the 100-meter breast on day one and the 200-meter breast on day five, for his fifth and sixth U.S. National titles.

Claiming he still had "more left in the tank," Hansen lowered his own 200-meter breast world record at the Pan Pacific Championships.

Hansen was voted the 2006 Athlete of the Year by the USA Swimming delegates in attendance at the convention. He was chosen over fellow Olympic standouts Michael Phelps, Aaron Peirsol, Katie Hoff and Amanda Weir as well as world champion Kate Ziegler. This is the first time Hansen has won the award.

Olympian Brendan Hansen named USA Swimming Athlete of the Year

Hansen named USOC Athlete of the Month

Olympic gold medalist Brendan Hansen (Havertown, Pa. / Longhorn) was named the U.S. Olympic Committee’s August Athlete of the Month, announced today.

Hansen set three world records in the month of August, lowering his own world record in the 100m breaststroke once and the 200m breast twice. Hansen smashed the world mark at both breaststroke distances at the 2006 ConocoPhillips USA Swimming National Championships (Aug. 1-5, Irvine, Calif.), breaking the 100m breast world record by almost two-tenths (59.13) and the 200m breast record by three-tenths (2:08.74). Fifteen days later at the Pan Pacific Championships (Aug. 17-21, Victoria, B.C.), Hansen again lowered his own 200m breast world record by more than two-tenths of a second, finishing in 2:08.50. He also won gold and set Championships records in the 100m breast and as a member of the 4x100m medley relay.

This is a great honor for the United States Olympic Committee to bestow on our B. Hansen. Congratulations Brendan!

USA Swimming to name Swimmer of The Year

USA Swimming is holding their annual convention this week in Detroit. They will be setting policy and stuff but the big thing is this:

On Saturday night, USA Swimming will name its Swimmer of the Year. Recent recipients have included Michael Phelps (Baltimore, Md.) and Aaron Peirsol (Irvine, Calif.).

Pretty cool. And Brendan has a really good chance of winning it. In my educated opinion he is the best candidate. There is only one other person who could come close to deserving the title, but his accomplishments aren't close to Brendan. There is not a whole lot we can do to influence these judges as we didn't find out early enough to make an argumentent with USA Swimming. BUT .... There is more.

In December, Swimming World Magazine will release it's selections for World Swimmers of the Year.

For the men, Michael Phelps and Brendan Hansen appear to be the front-running candidates. While Phelps set world records at the Pan Pacific Championships in the 200 individual medley, 200 butterfly and as a member of the 400 free relay, Hansen established three world records in the breaststroke events during the summer, with his 2:08.50 effort .54 lower than what the 200 breast mark was at the start of the season.

Also in the mix are Aaron Peirsol and Ryan Lochte. After winning the 100 and 200 backstrokes at U.S. Nationals, Peirsol doubled at Pan Pacs and set a world record in the 200 back, a race he hasn't lost since the Sydney Olympics. As for Lochte, his short-course season featured world records in the 100 and 200 backstrokes, along with the 200 I.M. For good measure, he clocked the fifth-fastest 200 I.M. (long course) en route to a silver medal behind Phelps at Pan Pacs.

For the women, the World Swimmer of the Year crown should be a two-woman battle between Australia's Leisel Jones and France's Laure Manaudou. Earlier in the year, Jones obliterated the world records in the 100 and 200 breaststrokes (long course). Most recently, she became the first woman in history to crack the 1:04 barrier in the 100 breast (short course). As for Manaudou, she twice lowered the world record in the 400 freestyle, an event that hadn't had its record touched in nearly 20 years when the season started.

Well it seems that Swimming World Magazine would love to hear who the people think is most deserving along with the reasons for this opinion. I know it's hard to write to strangers about things like this. It makes it very hard to do the work. But... it seems that we are to E-mail our choices for World Swimmers of the Year to johnl@swimmingworldmagazine.com. johnl... at Swimming World Magazine?! I think that is our good friend Jello... Lohner... Our dear John! So this will be a piece of cake. I am already penning my suggestions for swimmers of the year. I think this is the year that Brendan is the most logical choice.

He broke the World Record in the 100 LCM Breaststroke
He broke the World Record in the 200 LCM Breaststroke ... TWICE!
He broke the American Record in the 200 SCY Breaststroke
He was the Breast guy on the team that broke the American Record in the 200 SCY Medley Relay
He was the Breast guy on the team that broke the American Record in the 400 SCY Medley Relay
And he didn't just chip away at these records. He took chunks out. He is moving the bar to crazy heights and he is not finished yet. It should be a no brainer. But they are asking for help in picking. So let's give it.

Pan Pacs Video from Jessie!

Brendan's post race interview following the 100 Breaststroke..

Wheeeee! It's Monday!

Let's shake it y'all!



Many thanks to Lala for keeping up with BHO while I was getting my school schedule sorted out last week and getting back into the groove. I know a lot of us are back in classes now and posting may be a little light over the next few weeks but I fully expect things to pick back up as we all get settled in. Also, you know, it's the off season. Not much Brendan news to report until Golden Goggles comes around. I'm open to suggestions if any of y'all have a fun game or video you want to share. Lala sent me the Shakira spoof and it makes me want to get up and DANCE! (that dude in the street totally stole all my moves!) Great way to start the week. Enjoy!

The Swim Love Expansion Program

As you may know a few of our regular BHO girls have their own fansites dedicated to swimmers other than our fabulous Brendan. I (lala) have a swim meet photography site- Deckchange, Sarah has Ian Crocker Online- ICO!, and Terrie has Randall Bal Online- RBO! Both ICO and RBO have had recent redesigns so they are looking pretty hot.

I am sure you are aware that as you get more involved in the sport, you start noticing other swimmers. (I have seen Ry-ry's name tossed around a bit.) Along the way, Terrie has felt the pull to expand her love and open a new site. In all her Randall Bal research, she kept noticing the Stanford Men's Swimming Team. So we are proud to announce that Terrie's new site Cardinal Splash is officially online! Pretty nice for a New Jersey girl who has only been to California once.

I wouldn't be surprised if a Longhorn Love sight pops up someday. We do love that Chappy and Kluegh and Weber-Gale and Walker and McGinnis and Rogers and O'Halloran and Lowe and Pritchett and.. Oh I could go on and on. Be sure to check Terrie's new site out until then. Congratulations Terrie!

USA Swimming to name Olympic Team coaches Friday

USA Swimming will announce the 2008 U.S. Olympic Swim Team men’s and women’s head coaches on Friday, Sept. 8 at a press conference at the highly-esteemed National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Mark Schubert, USA Swimming’s National Team head coach and general manager, will make the announcement live at 12:30 p.m. EST.

Following the press conference, both head coaches will join Schubert on a media conference call beginning at 2 p.m. EST. To listen to the call live, visit www.wcsn.com

But somewhere out there our own little bird Timmay found this scoop. Let's not squee prematurely but...

Texas coach Eddie Reese has been chosen to lead his third U.S. Olympic men's team. The coaches will be introduced Friday in Washington D.C.

This is looking fantastic for our Olympic hopes. Tune into the live for the official announcement to see if we can run amok.

Edited to add:
Reese, Bauerle Named U.S. Olympic Coaches

"Eddie Reese is without a doubt the best coach in America, if not the world," Schubert said. "No coach in recent memory has had three world record holders and three Olympic gold medalists in the same program. His job at the 2004 Olympics in Athens as the men's team head coach, and the success he's had since, made him the hands-down choice to lead our men's team in Beijing."

So Squeee!! Amok Amok Amok! Congratulations to Coaches Bauerle and Reese on their appointment. And Congrats to Team USA as well. You are in great hands!

Looking to 2007

I just read an article at Swimming World Magazine, that got me really excited about the 2007 Season. I'm sure you have all looked at the list of teams, (I am not the only oen right?) but this article breaks down the hopes for the different meets. Of course Brendan factors highly in the dominance of Team USA.

The U.S. squad is also in good hands in the 100 and 200 breaststroke with Brendan Hansen and look for Cullen Jones to continue his meteoric rise and give reigning world champion Roland Schoeman all he can handle in the 50 freestyle. Expect Klete Keller to make medal runs in the 200 and 400 freestyles aside from handling the anchor duties on the 800 free relay.

It is an exciting read and goes on to talk of all the major meets that will be contested in the coming year. Included is the list of the swimmers who will be competing for USA at all the World Meets.

Read the full article here:
Looking at the American Squads for 2007 International Competition

Santa Clara International Invitational Pictures and More

I finally got all the photos uploaded from the Santa Clara International Invitational into the gallery and there are also a few new pictures from a great slideshow over at The Pan Pacs Website. There is a nice close up of the medals, (of which Brendan got three, all gold -hee hee ) as well as photos of the whole meet.

Since there is no racing going on, this is a great time for reflection on the season. If you haven't had a chance to check it out, visit our good friends at WSCN.com. The more you look at the information from Nationals, the more you find to see! They are sports fans just like we are and are understand how much we need swimming coverage. So let's show them some love by stopping by there to see what they have to offer.

News Links...

Keegan Abbie (left) proudly displays the autographed swim cap he received from Brendan Hansen at the Pan Pacific Swim Meet in Victoria two weeks ago. Hansen, a member of the American national team, set a new world record in the 200-metre breaststroke while Keegan and sister Mallory (right) watched. They met him afterwards.

Local swimmer meets medalist

By eric j. welsh
News Sports Editor
Sep 03 2006

Very rarely in life does one get the chance to meet an elite athlete up-close-and-personal, but that's exactly what happened to Penticton's Keegan Abbie two weeks ago.

While attending the Pan Pacific Swim Championships in Victoria, Abbie saw six world records shattered and met Brendan Hansen, the American swimmer who set a new standard in the 200-metre breaststroke.

"He gave me a swim-cap with an autograph on it, which was really cool," said the 13-year-old. "I got a picture with him. It was an amazing experience because he does breaststroke and that's my best event and watching him win his race in record time is a once-in-a-lifetime thing that I'll probably never see again."

Abbie had a short conversation with Hansen and left with an important tip in mind - the swimmer told Abbie to never limit himself.

"I'm definitely going to work a lot harder when I get back into the pool in September," said Abbie. "I'm inspired. Now I want to race Hansen - if he doesn't retire. Maybe I'll be good enough to go up against him at the next Pan Pacific meet."

Abbie learned a lot by watching the world's top swimmers operate. In addition to Hansen, American Michael Phelps was at the meet. Phelps won six gold medals and two bronze at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.

"When I'm at a normal swim meet I don't get to watch because I'm swimming all the time," said Abbie. "These swimmers are so skilled and they really focus on every area of the sport from starts to streamlines. It's a completely different calibre of swimming."

KISU Swim Club coach Tina Hoeben was at the meet. She said Abbie will benefit immeasurably from the experience.

"He has a lot of potential in him," she said. "Watching those swimmers is something that will stay with him a long time and I think there's very few limits to what he can do."

Abbie's family - mom Darlene, dad Lindsey and sister Mallory - were also at the meet with him.

Lindsey Abbie said he was impressed by the conduct of the swimmers, who were very fan friendly.

"I thought what was really cool was the way the athletes were so personable with everyone at the meet," he said. "They were friendly. They signed autographs. They had pictures taken. I thought that the athletes at a high-calibre meet like that would be super-focused and not so open to the fans, so that really surprised me."

The Penticton Community Centre pool is closed for renovations and re-opens September 24.

The KISU Swim Club will be holding registration for returning swimmers Sept. 13 from 3:30-5:30 p.m. at the Community Centre.

Registration for new swimmers will be held Sept. 14 from 3:30-5:30 p.m. at the Community Centre.

More News...

USA Swimming announces international team rosters
National "A" and "B" Teams announced
Local flavor on U.S. national swim team
Phelps Returns To Athens Eight
U.S. Olympic Coaching Selections to be Announced Next Week

Happy 2nd Birthday BHO!

We've come a long way baby! In the last two years there have been 461,109 visitors to BHO. Our first month we had 2,358 visitors and this month we've had 24,429 visitors from all the countries listed below...

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The majority of visitors find us through a Google Search of "Brendan Hansen". Some of the more "interesting" search phrases used to find us have been...

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The single most popular thread on the blog is Brendan's first fan Q&A and following that were the chat summaries.

The most viewed image in the gallery...



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I can't disagree with that.