Brendan cleared for relay....but not so fast.

U.S. DQ in 400 Medley Relay Puts End to Phelps' Chase for Eight

By John Lohn

MELBOURNE, Australia, March 31. MICHAEL Phelps' bid for an eighth gold medal at the World Championships was taken out of his hands this morning when the United States was disqualified in the preliminaries of the 400 medley relay. The U.S. touched first in the heat, clocking 3:34.72, but an early takeoff by Ian Crocker on the butterfly leg led to the DQ.

With Scott Usher coming into the wall from the breaststroke leg, Crocker went for a quality start, one that turned out to be too good, as he left the blocks just before Usher's hand hit the touchpad. The disqualification prevents Phelps from swimming on the medley relay at night and the chance to go 8-for-8. If Phelps win the 400 individual medley tonight, he'll have seven gold medals.

"We thought we were being conservative," said Neil Walker, who was on the freestyle anchor. "It's disappointing because Michael was trying to do something that has never been done. This is the type of thing that happens. There's no other explanation. We thought it looked fine on the replay. It looked like Usher touched and Ian's toes were still on the block. But, that's not what the official reading said."

Damn.

Exclusive: Frustrated Hansen still ailing

By JOHN LOHN, jlohn@delcotimes.com
03/30/2007

MELBOURNE - Never at a loss for a quality one-liner, Brendan Hansen has his eyes on a new endorsement deal. Already under contract with Nike, the Haverford High product knows where his agent, Evan Morgenstein, needs to look next.

"I think, from now on, I'll be walking around the pool deck with hand sanitizer in my pocket," Hansen said Friday, as he killed boredom in his hotel room while the 12th edition of the FINA World Swimming Championships moved into Day Six at the Rod Laver Arena. The evening boasted two world records.

Hansen was in much better spirits a day after he was forced to withdraw from his pet event, the 200 breaststroke, due to a nasty virus that leveled the world-record holder and defending champion. Quarantined in his room, Hansen's physical status was also much improved, as he'd moved beyond the intestinal problems and cramping that had made his life miserable. His fever had disappeared and he even hopped in the pool for a pair of quick workouts.

Waking up Wednesday morning, about 13 hours before he took the silver medal in the 50 breaststroke, Hansen was met by cramps in his stomach and lower back, along with a headache and sensitivity throughout his body. He met with Team USA Physician Dr. Ken Haller, but decided to go forward with the final of the 50 breast.

Despite continued struggles during his warmup session, Hansen finished second in the one-lap breaststroke, a race new to his international program. But, after the race, Hansen had a difficult time standing during his trip to doping control and it became obvious that the 25-year-old was suffering from a severe ailment.

Defending his world title in the 100 breaststroke on the second night of competition, Hansen did what most champions do after a victory: He made the rounds, accepted plenty of well-wishes and enjoyed the night. Little did he know, his gold medal in the 100 would be accompanied by a shot to the gut - literally and figuratively.

"I thought about all the hands I shook after winning the 100 and I wasn't surprised I picked something up," Hansen said. "The night of the 50 final, I was cramping pretty easy in warmup, but didn't mention anything to anyone but the doctor and my coach (Eddie Reese). I didn't want people to think I was using it as an excuse, plus I was in denial thinking I (couldn't) get sick. I never get sick."

The world-record holder and two-time world champ in the 200 breast, Hansen was counting down the hours until he'd take to the water for the 200 breast, the event that sparked his international emergence. After clocking 2:08.50 at last summer's Pan Pacific Championships in Victoria, British Columbia, Hansen was confident he could take the mark lower.

Not only did he set the 200 breast world record on two occasions last summer, the efforts arrived in distinctly different fashion. The knowledge that he's still learning, despite his veteran status, has lit a fire in Hansen. Not that he's ever been one in need of much motivation. Simply, Hansen has an insatiable desire to locate improvement.

In Hansen's absence, Japan's Kosuke Kitajima won the gold medal in 2:09.80. It was Kitajima's second world title in the 200 breast, complementing his crown from four years ago.

"I really don't know what to think," Hansen said of the circumstances he's encountered. "It's obviously a big disappointment because the 200 breast was the one race I was looking forward to the most. And with everyone breaking records, I was just waiting for my number to be called. But getting sick is something I can't control. As I complained to my dad (Buzz) on the phone, he just responded, 'Look, you can't control this. Just rest and get better, that's all you need to worry about right now.' "

Certainly, Hansen had a strong chance of joining the record-breaking parade that has unfolded in the Susie O'Neill Pool. After the first two days of competition produced zero world records, the last four days have featured 12 global standards. The latest came courtesy of American Ryan Lochte in the 200 backstroke 1:54.32) and the United States 800 free relay of Michael Phelps, Lochte, Klete Keller and Peter Vanderkaay (7:03.24).

For Phelps, the win marked his fifth gold medal of the meet and fourth world record. He has a chance to win eight gold medals before the meet concludes, something never accomplished in the sport. In his career, Phelps has set 21 world records.

With his health returning to normal, Hansen seems more and more likely to be part of the 400 medley relay, scheduled for the last night of the meet. He's a member of the world-record holding American squad in the event and is hungry to finish these World Champs off the way he started them: With a gold medal. The U.S. is nearly untouchable in the medley relay.

"I am very eager to bounce back and get back in the meet," Hansen said. "The frustration and disappointment of this whole situation have got me fired up. The coaches obviously are going to put the best relay they can together, and depending on my energy and strength level, we will see. The doctor has to clear me and I am confident I will be on it. They know how I respond to situations like this and they know the only outcome is that pushes me to go even faster.

"My biggest concern is getting back with the team. I am eager to get back and support the team. I'm bored as hell and I'm not handling watching the meet on TV well."

Message from Brendan

OOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCHHHHH!

Wow.

So I decided to splurge a lil' and get internet in my room since if I spent another minute laying on my back staring at the ceiling or watching another E True Hollywood Story I may go nuts.

To give you guys the scoop. I woke the morning of the 50 final not feeling so hot, talked to the doc and thought maybe it was a migraine. Never had one before but since my brother and sister suffered with them in the past I figured my day had come. Swam the 50 and felt fine, missed the start which cost me the gold but I was still pleased and confident for the rest of the meet. Went to doping and started to shiver, the doc knew something was wrong, took my temp, 102. I was put in the sick room and probably had one of the worst nights sleep. Woke up around 6 and was given an IV and put on flu meds. Had a conversation with the doctor and Eddie about the morning swim and both felt I should scratch. I still wanted to see if I could get by...make the final, buy some time and hopefully be somewhat better for the final. Went to the hotel pool, swam three laps, felt fine....'til I stopped and couldn't stand up. After a liter and half IV (three bags - aka a freakin' lot) I was still cramping up. It wasnt going to happen. Went back to the room and with the meds was able to sleep. Woke up in time to watch the semi....which was so freakin awesome to WATCH ON TV (picking up the sarcasm?)

But there is light at the end of the tunnel. I slept great throught the night broke the fever and after letting everything run its course it looks to be coming to an end. Still a little weak but was able to swim about 1500 this morning and the goal is to get in the competition pool sometime today but we arent going to rush anything. I am feeling better and we want to keep
taking steps in the right direction.

No word yet on the relay for you guys. You know if it was my decision what would happen. So I will keep you posted.

Tonight I will watch it on TV cheering Eric on. He has one of the strongest second hundreds in the field and if he is close at the hundred he will have a shot.

Guess everything happens for a reason....just haven't figured this one out yet.

Brendan

Update on Brendan...

His fever has broken and he's off the IV. He's eating and resting better although still quarantined and wishing he could be with his teammates. No decision has been made about the relay yet but he's got time. Even though he has no internet access at the moment, his mom has passed on your good thoughts and I'm sure he appreciates them.

Brendan out of the 200 :(

Falling Ill, Brendan Hansen Out of 200 Breaststroke

By John Lohn

MELBOURNE, Australia, March 28. BRENDAN Hansen, the defending champion and world-record holder in the 200 breaststroke, has been scratched from the event after falling ill last night after the final of the 50 breast. Hansen became sick on bus ride back to the team hotel.

Team USA physican Ken Haller spent much of the night attending to Hansen, who has been diagnosed with a virus. Haller indicated that Hansen could be recovered in time to compete in the 400 medley relay on the final night of competition.

Ill Hansen drops out of 200 breaststroke

"He started feeling cramped up and has some kind of stomach virus. We quarantined him. In the middle of the night, he had a couple of IVs," U.S. backstroker Aaron Peirsol said.

"He's one of those guys, where if he could do anything to swim, if he had any kind of ability to do so, he would, so I know he must be feeling pretty awful."

snip

"He'll be ready to bounce back and probably even hungrier than he would have been," Peirsol said. "He's lost 5 pounds. He'll be a little lighter in the water."

Get well soon Brendan!

Oh so close...

I was sure Brendan had it but Oleg's got some kind of voodoo magic touch at the wall. I'd love to see some underwater video of that finish.

1. LISOGOR Oleg UKR 27.66
2. HANSEN Brendan USA 27.69
3. VAN DER BURGH Cameron RSA 27.88
4. TERRIN Alessandro ITA 28.09
5. KITAJIMA Kosuke JPN 28.10
6. MALUL Michael ISR 28.19
7. RICKARD Brenton AUS 28.24
8. DYMO Valeriy UKR 28.27

World Championships: Oleg Lisogor Soars to 50 Breast Title

"I guess you can put the broom away because there's not going to be a sweep," Hansen said, referring to his chase for all three breaststroke titles, something never before accomplished. "I didn't hit the start and that came down to experience. But, I battled back and I'm happy to come away with the silver medal."

I'll be updating the Gallery as I can.

Video of the 100 Final

WOW!

What an amazing morning/evening of swimming (depending on your time zone). World Records dropping left and right. Phelps started the night off smashing Thorpes record in the 200 Free, then Natalie fed off that excitement and got a new WR in the 100 Back. Peirsol looked like he might finally get beat by Lochte who was swimming an amazing race in the 100 back but then Aaron found a new gear and became the first man to break 53 seconds. Federica Pellegrini shocked no one more than herself with a WR in the 200 Free Semis (Katie Hoff got a PB and a new AR in her Semi of the same event) and I though Leisel Jones was going to get one too but tightened up a bit and had to settle for a course record. No trouble getting up at 4 am when you get to see a show like that!

Brendan looked amazingly confident in the 50 and when he looks that confident it's hard to believe he won't win. He finished the Semi-Finals with the top time and what I believe is a personal best of 27.51, just a breath ahead of Lisogor and Terrin. (Sorry about your man Warnecke Lotus Sport. He just missed making the Semi's this time. You can cheer for Brendan now.)

Top Eight Qualifiers:

HANSEN Brendan USA 27.51
LISOGOR Oleg UKR 27.53
TERRIN Alessandro ITA 27.55
KITAJIMA Kosuke JPN 27.89
DYMO Valeriy UKR 27.97
RICKARD Brenton AUS 27.98
VAN DER BURGH Cameron RSA 27.99
MALUL Michael ISR 28.08

Article from John Lohn over at Swimming World

"That race showed that I'm getting better," Hansen said. "I'm loving it and having a blast with everything right now. The 100 was definitely a confidence booster and I'm riding that wave into the rest of the meet. It's just grip and rip it."

Sorry I wasn't able to post an update yesterday (busy busy day) but I'm going to try to get caught up with the links now....

Those who missed the 100 Breast Final it's up on WCSN now along with all the other finals that have been contested up to today...right here.

Hansen is golden yet again - John Lohn

"He's a great competitor," Hansen said of Kitajima. "We have a rivalry, but one with mutual respect. I couldn't see where he was, but I knew he was right there with me. I just put the blinders on and let my experience come through. With about 20 meters to go, I knew I was going to be off at the finish. I either had to go long (for the wall) or go short and I decided to go long. I've been doing this for 20 years and my instincts took over. If I didn't go long (and stretch for the wall, rather than take another quick stroke), I'd probably be here with the silver medal."

snip

"(Kitajima) brings out the best in me and I think I bring out the best in him," Hansen said. "If our rivalry brings more attention to the sport, that's a great thing. I know I'm going to draw and build off this and what my teammates have been doing."

Hansen good as gold again

Hansen holds off rival Kitajima in breaststroke

Texas Trio Off To Fine Start

Same top two, different race, slower too, yet the way in which Brendan Hansen, of the US, retained the 100m breaststroke crown in 59.78sec to 59.96sec for Olympic champion Kosuke Kitajima spoke volumes about who is now boss of breaststroke.

The 2003 title went to Kitajima in 59.78 and the 2005 crown to Hansen in 59.37, which remains a championship record. A war of words later and Hansen has taken the record on so far past Kitajima - 59.13 and 2:08.50 - that he has room for nervousness, room for mistakes, room for making sure that whatever happens, he can still stop the clock first.

The gap between gold and silver was tiny - 0.16sec - and yet it was not unlike watching the Popov era, when the Russian was at his best: there was never a point in the race at which you thought that Hansen could succumb to Kitajima. The American had the edge, he had what it took to say 'I know you're on my shoulder - but not this time, this is mine'.

They turned almost in a world of their own, 27.67 for the champion and 27.79 for former champion, with Norway's Alex Oen Dale getting too excited, on a 27.93, the only other sub-28sec first-50m man. The Scandinavian paid a price for his bravery, finishing 8th in 1:01.67, but the main feature in the middle of the pool produced a fantastic duel. There was once a time when Hansen, coached by Eddie Reese, might have wobbled as Kitajima coasted alongside. No more. Hansen hads built himself a buffer zone that allows him to be off best but still the best.

And hundreds more I can't possibly link them all so here's the google link - knock yourselves out. If y'all have any favorites I've missed please let me know.

Brendan is once again the WORLD CHAMPION in the 100 Breaststroke

PHEW! That was a close race but Brendan took the lead at the start and didn't let go.



Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images

Final Results of the 100 Breaststroke:

1. HANSEN Brendan USA
0.72 27.67 59.805

2. KITAJIMA Kosuke JPN
0.71 27.79 59.96 0.164

3. RICKARD Brenton AUS
0.92 28.15 1:00.58 0.786

4. DYMO Valeriy UKR
0.76 28.18 1:00.60 0.802

5. LISOGOR Oleg UKR
0.82 28.07 1:00.83 1.037

6. ALEXANDROV Mihail BUL
0.75 28.09 1:01.17 1.371

7. KOMORNIKOV Dmitry RUS
0.75 28.58 1:01.24 1.448

8. DALE OEN Alexander NOR
0.87 27.93 1:01.67 1.873

News Links:

World Championships: Brendan Hansen Defends Crown in 100 Breaststroke

American Hansen wins 100m breaststroke final

Hansen beats Kitajima to defend world breaststroke title

The admitted chip Hansen has had on his shoulder since Athens surfaced again Monday night, saying his latest win didn't stop reporters from pointing out his losses four years ago.

"It doesn't make up for you guys. You still call him Olympic champion and me just a guy who's got a bunch of medals," Hansen said. "I obviously won't make it to your par until I make an Olympic medal."

Hansen now owns four consecutive victories over Kitajima.

He beat the Japanese star in the 100 at the world championships two years ago in Montreal. Hansen won the 100 and 200 over Kitajima at the Pan Pacific championships in August before claiming victory in Melbourne.

Hansen and Kitajima were the only swimmers to break 1 minute in the final that was contested before plenty of empty seats at Rod Laver Arena.

"Sometime if there was synchro swimming (for men), me and him should team up," Hansen said. "It's just one of those things where he brings out the best in me and I bring out the best in him. If the crowd loves it and puts more attention on our sport, so be it."

One more pic. I'll update the Melbourne Gallery as soon as I can.


Photo by Vladimir Rys/Bongarts/Getty Images

Semi-Final Results

Top Eight moving onto the Finals tomorrow night:

KITAJIMA Kosuke JPN 1:00.05
HANSEN Brendan USA 1:00.13
DALE OEN Alexander NOR 1:00.69
RICKARD Brenton AUS 1:00.87
DYMO Valeriy UKR 1:00.88
LISOGOR Oleg UKR 1:00.89
ALEXANDROV Mihail BUL 1:01.08
KOMORNIKOV Dmitry RUS 1:01.11

Brendan looked really relaxed for that last 25 meters so I think we'll see him going a fair bit faster in the final. Can't wait!

Four finals done and I'm already totally tanking with my predictions. Hope some of you are doing a lot better. You can find full results at Swimming World where Jason Marsteller and John Lohn are double-teaming to get some really good reports up supah-fast.

ETA: Swimming World has put up a nice little video interview with some of our favorite boys, including Brendan, talking about last nights swims and looking forward to tonight. Be sure to check it out.

Some News Links:

World Championships: Kitajima, Hansen to Go Head-to-Head for 100 Breast Crown

"It didn't feel like a 1:00.1," Hansen said. "But it's not about the time right now. I feel like I'm getting better with each swim and tomorrow is looking good. I wasn't racing against anyone. Tomorrow, I'm going to go out and try to feed off the crowd."

Yakult anyone? World Champ Finals-Day One Wrap Up

Kosuke Kitajima (JPN) reminded Brendan Hansen (USA) why he's the Olympic champion as he out-touched Hansen 1:00.05 to 1:00.13 for the top spot heading into tomorrow's final. The two swam stroke for stroke all the way so it was hard to tell if Hansen was holding back a bit and letting Kitajima have this one; whatever the case, the final will be tight.

Prelim Results, Gallery Update and News

Top Qualifiers for 100 Breast Prelim:

KITAJIMA Kosuke JPN 59.96
DALE OEN Alexander NOR 1:00.34
HANSEN Brendan USA 1:00.59
TITENIS Giedrius LTU 1:00.92
LISOGOR Oleg UKR 1:00.99
GIBSON James GBR 1:01.03
DYMO Valeriy UKR 1:01.06
RICKARD Brenton AUS 1:01.06
DUBOSCQ Hugues FRA 1:01.08
VAN DER BURGH Cameron RSA 1:01.12
ALEXANDROV Mihail BUL 1:01.15
USHER Scott USA 1:01.36
COOK Christopher GBR 1:01.49
TERRIN Alessandro ITA 1:01.61
KOMORNIKOV Dmitry RUS 1:01.66
VAN AGGELE Robin NED 1:01.69

Brendan swam a smart race - Just fast enough to get him in a good lane for the Semifinals beginning just 5 hours from now..it's going to be a long week.

Ian is the top seed going into the 50 Fly semi's later tonight.

Catch the finals for the 400 free and the 4x100 free relays tonight along with the semi-finals for the 50 fly, 100 breaststroke and all the other stuff on WCSN or Omega Timing starting at 4:50 am Eastern/3:50 am Central time.

I've added the latest photos to the Gallery and will continue to update it as I can. A sample below..


Antony Dickson, Getty Images/AFP

News Links:

Break a minute to join us: Hansen

"I've read the papers and I've heard Brenton say he's put in the hardest training that he's ever done and if what he's saying is actually true then I think he has the potential of breaking a minute and if he does that then he is a competitor," Hansen said. "I also know that to break a minute is extremely hard and it takes a lot of mental strength to do it. It's a barrier that a lot of breaststrokers have struggled with."

World Championships: Kitajima and Hansen Headline 100 Breast Semifinals

Athletes speak with the media in Melbourne

The Japanese journalists were particularly interested in Hansen's rivalry with Japanese breaststroker Kosuke Kitajima.

"We have a pretty healthy rivalry," Hansen said. "Other than the language barrier, there's not much I can say other than good luck. We make each other swim fast but we always shake hands at the end of the race. He brings out the best in me, and I appreciate that."

Last day for Prediction Contest Entries & Adjustments

If my calculations are correct (and I double checked with Mr. H on this because they rarely are) Prelims should be starting at 6 Eastern/5 Central US time tomorrow. (10 am Aussie time so y'all sort the math out for wherever you live keeping in mind that DST ends in Australia at 3 am tomorrow which means they lose an hour. I think.) All prediction entries and changes need to be posted by then. Good luck everyone!

As Woodward mentioned in the comments of the Prediction thread - some changes have been made to the entry list (like adding the members of the Hungarian team). Y'all may want to take a look at the updated entry list and see if you want to make adjustments to your predictions.

For LIVE coverage of the events you can follow along on Omega Timing for the Prelims and then catch live video of the finals at WCSN.

Pass the time until then playing the Tattoo game. Can you name all the swimmers in the photo below?


Antony Dickson - AFP/Getty Images

That's CAPTAIN Brenbear, yo

Brendan and Neil were honored by their teammates and elected captains of the men's team. Excellent choice Team USA! Natalie and Tara were nominated for the women's team. Brendan seemed pretty excited and when I asked him if he felt fast he said "lightenin!". I'm getting so excited for the swimming to start!

More News:

Breaststroker Rickard ready to step up

Rickard knows it's a bold statement to consider himself a medal contender against Hansen, but feels he has done enough work in training to become a sub-60 second swimmer.

"I honestly think I have done the work, I could do it now or I could do it in the future," said Rickard.

"We are trying not to get wrapped up in swimming times. People win races it's not times that win races.

"I think I'm at the level where I can do that type of swim and it's just whether I put it together on the day.

And More...

Do you contribute your success to any particular break through?

Brendan: Overall, for all the meets I go to I take the same approach each time. I work as hard as I can in preparation for whatever meet I am going to. I have tried to come into each meet with an open mind, for what I think is possible. So I guess, in that sense yes I do think it was specific to each of my breakouts. But really, even though each meet is different I think the results have just came as a result of my approach to training and racing on the whole.

Can we expect more records?

Brendan: Last year was the first year since Trials that I did best times so it had been a long time since I broke a record. The way I think of what I am doing is that I want to do best times, as well as have fun training and striving to be the best I can. That's really the #1 goal.

Is training partner Eric Shanteau a rival?

Brendan: I think that it's a really good one. He's a guy that's coming up in the breastroking scene and there hasn't really been anyone to challenge him lately. [Scott] Usher has gone down a little bit, and Eric has come up and is hungrier than anyone at this point, so I am excited for him. We'll have to see how he deals with the pressure this weekend. I am very excited to see how he will stack up against the very Top Competition, which he has never faced before.

What about Rickard and Kitajima?

Brendan: It's funny, with all this talk of "rivalries" I don't really look at them as rivalries, I just look at it as something that gets the emotions up and make me even more excited to swim. I guess I don't look at these guys or rivalries as threats so much as opportunities to swim faster. In the end it's going to be the guy that works the hardest that wins. Brenton is in a good position with the home crowd behind him as well as coming off some solid improvements. I am just really looking forward to the race.

Are you your biggest enemy?

Brendan: I think that when I'm at my best, not many people can beat me. With how I was swimming at 2004 Trials and last summer, I do feel like it was inevitable that I would win, I felt very confident. But it is just a mindset. I am going to make mistakes, everyone does. Over the years I like to think that I have learned from my mistakes and gotten better because of them. I view myself as a seasoned veteran. So mentally yes, I can be my own worst enemy. But I think that my training, experience and physical preparation has put me in a great position at this point.

Race you are looking forward too as a fan?

Brendan: I am really looking forward to all the relay battles. As for the #1 guy I am going to be watching, I would say Ian Crocker. He didn't swim as well as he would have liked last summer and I think we could see big things from him at this meet. What'd he go, 41.6 in the 100 free a couple weeks ago, unrested? I think he has the ability to break 50 seconds in the 100 fly, if not this month, eventually. But all in all, I am looking forward to when I finish and I can watch my teammates from home [University of Texas]. It's gonna be a heck of a lot of fun to see all their hard work pay off.

Does it help having such a big group from Longhorn Aquatics on the team?

Brendan: Absolutely. The way I look at it, you're going to a party and you already know everyone there. It's going to make it more fun, increase your comfort level and just make your job easier because it's one less thing to stress about.

From Timed Finals

New Article from John Lohn

By JOHN LOHN
jlohn@delcotimes.com

The journey to China and the 29th Olympiad remains lengthy. With more than 500 days until the Opening Ceremony, there's plenty of time for the rise and fall of athletes who dream of competing in Beijing. It's a delicate path to negotiate, as one misstep or miscalculation can crush an athlete's hopes. Sometimes, even a high-level performance during qualifying isn't enough.

As much as anyone, Brendan Hansen knows what it takes to represent the United States on the biggest stage in sports. He's been on both sides. In 2000, the Haverford High graduate dealt with heartache after just missing a trip to Sydney as a teenager. Four years later, he realized the ecstasy of the accomplishment, grabbing a bid to Athens.

Because of his experiences, Hansen goes about his work with Beijing as part of the blueprint. It's easy motivation. The next Olympics might not be at the forefront of his mind on a daily basis, but the Games certainly occupy at least a portion of his attention. That much was obvious as Hansen discussed his plans for the World Championships, scheduled to begin Sunday at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne.

The defending champion in the 100 and 200 breaststroke events, Hansen is the favorite to retain those crowns. He'll also contest the 50 breast and will handle the breaststroke leg on the United States' 400 medley relay. Making his first trip to Australia, a swimming-crazed nation, Hansen is slated to race on seven of the eight days.

"The 2008 Olympics are there. I can see them," said Hansen, nearing a decade of international experience. "This will be a chance for me to make a major statement. I've been waiting for the chance to get back to the big stage. I'm planning on swimming well, then going to work for a year and a half to get ready for Beijing. The mental part of this sport is so big. If I can get into the heads of a few people this week, that will work to my advantage."

Since claiming silver in the 100 breast and bronze in the 200 breast at the 2004 Olympics, Hansen has separated himself from the opposition. That Hansen is the world-record holder in the 100 and 200 disciplines only tells a portion of his dominance. The times he has produced are what speak loudest, and have resonated with his foes. In many interviews recently, Hansen's competitors have talked about chasing the American.

During a three-week stretch last summer, Hansen slashed three of his world records. At the United States Nationals in Irvine, Calif., he blazed 59.13 in the 100 breaststroke to lower his mark of 59.30. He also went 2:08.74 in the 200 breast to take .30 off his world record. Obviously not satisfied, Hansen uncorked a performance of 2:08.50 for the 200 breast a few weeks later at the Pan Pacific Championships in Victoria, British Columbia.

One of only three men in history to break the one-minute barrier for the 100 breast, Hansen has turned the trick on eight occasions and has the four-fastest swims ever produced. His 100 record is four tenths faster than the second-quickest performer, rival Kosuke Kitajima of Japan. Meanwhile, his 200 record is nearly a second quicker than Kitajima, the reigning Olympic champ and former world-record holder.

How much faster Hansen can go remains a mystery. He believes 58 and 2:07 are within reach, marks that once were seen as unattainable. Now 25, the University of Texas product is confident he takes something from each race. Never, he says, will there be a time when he packages the perfect swim.

"Everything is starting to click," Hansen said, just before departing for Melbourne. "One of the cool things is that I'm still learning how to swim my races. It makes it fun and interesting. I try to take something different from every race and then put it all together. Last summer, when I set the two records in the 200, I swam the races completely different. It's a work in progress."

While Hansen is favored to repeat in the 100 and 200, the 50 breast should be his biggest challenge of the week. A one-lap sprint, the race tends to be ruled by specialists, such as Germany's Mark Warnecke and Ukrainian Oleg Lisogor. For Hansen, the trick will be generating early speed.

If Hansen can find a way to win the 50, and maintain supremacy in the other two distances, he'll pull off a triple crown never before achieved. In the history of the World Championships, no swimmer - in any stroke - has won titles from the 50 through 200 distances. Simply, the ability to simultaneously possess speed and endurance is a chore.

"It's going to be hard because there are guys who only focus on the 50," Hansen said. "But, it's going to spice things up. It's a chance for me to show more range. If you look at the past and all the great swimmers who have never been able to do it, that shows how tough it will be. It would be special to pull off."

For now, though, Hansen is worried about his first race, and only that prelim of the 100 breast. Afterward, he'll embrace the remainder of the meet and, eventually, Beijing.

"I'm worried about me and what I need to do in Melbourne," Hansen said. "I've stayed competitive for this long because I'm surrounded by good people and stay focused. There will be some good guys down there, but I can only control what I do."

I want it! Give it to me!

Lala's been hanging with Holly and David and a variety of marsupials in Brisbane for the past few days and heads to Melbourne tomorrow. Such a cute little koala! She told me his name but I've totally forgotten.

Tara Kirk has a really sweet Blog post about Brendan up on WCSN...

This is somewhat ironic coming after the veteran blog a few days ago but whatever. Today I had a totally awesome workout. I did some great work on the watch and was really happy with my times. But the ultimate highlight came during my dive 25s. I finished one of them and surfaced to get my time, which was pretty decent. But just then, a few lanes over, Brendan pops his head up and says "Tara, your line looks really great." OK, so I held a world record for a few years, hold a handful of American records, and have won a few international gold medals so I know a few things about swimming breaststroke fast. But I was still definitely thrilled by the comment. I mean, he is the fastest breaststroker in the world - ever. And he was complimenting my stroke! Awesome. I should definitely be more cool about this but whatever. I guess it just shows how much a few kind words can brighten someone's day. Thanks Brendan!

More Links:

Hansen preparing for golden opportunity

"As a team, we don't think about other teams. We really take a lot of pride in being dominant. We don't care who is second.

"There's not another powerhouse out there to compete with us, but that's not stopping us."

Crocker driven by the shadow of Phelps

Worlds Prediction Contest

We're going to go ahead and get it started with the Entry List and if things change you can update your predictions later (as long as it's done before the prelims for that event and you repost your entire list and delete your previous one so I don't lose my mind when it's time to do the math).

Order of Events:

1. Women's 100m Butterfly
2. Men's 400m Freestyle
3. Women's 200m Individual Medley
4. Men's 50m Butterfly
5. Women's 400m Freestyle
6. Men's 100m Breaststroke
7. Women's 4 x 100m Freestyle
8. Men's 4 x 100m Freestyle
9. Women's 100m Backstroke
10. Men's 200m Freestyle
11. Women's 100m Breaststroke
12. Men's 100m Backstroke
13. Women's 1500m Freestyle
14. Men's 50m Breaststroke
15. Men's 200m Butterfly
16. Women's 200m Freestyle
17. Men's 800m Freestyle
18. Women's 50m Backstroke
19. Men's 100m Freestyle
20. Women's 200m Butterfly
21. Men's 200m Individual Medley
22. Women's 100m Freestyle
23. Men's 200m backstroke
24. Women's 200m Breaststroke
25. Men's 200m Breaststroke
26. Women's 4 x 200 Freestyle
27. Women's 50m Butterfly
28. Men's 50m Freestyle
29. Women's 800m Freestyle
30. Men's 100m Butterfly
31. Women's 200m Backstroke
32. Men's 4 x 200m Freestyle
33. Women's 50m Freestyle
34. Men's 50m Backstroke
35. Women's 50m Breaststroke
36. Men's 1500m Freestyle
37. Women's 4 x 100m Medley Relay
38. Men's 400m Individual Medley
39. Women's 400m Individual Medley
40. Men's 4 x 100m Medley Relay

The Rules:

For each event listed on the Psych Sheet you will list your top 3 finishers in order of finish. In case of scratches you may want to add a 4th place finisher and if one of your top three scratches the event we will drop them out and move everyone else up a spot. (meaning they don't swim the prelim either - it doesn't count if they swim the prelim and THEN scratch)

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 makes the final.

The person with the most points at the end will be crowned "Most Excellent Swimming Fan Evah" (or until the next contest) and have bragging rights as well as a gift certificate for either Dunkin Donuts or Krispy Kreme and a BHO t-shirt. The person with the fewest points will get a lovely loser prize.

Good Luck y'all!

Brendan's Greatest Hits pt. 4

Psych sheet anytime soon FINA? USA Swimming? Anyone?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TIMMAY!

NCAA Wrap-up, Splash Mag and News Links

Auburn won. Texas 5th. Whatever. Y'all should go listen to the audio interview with Alexandrov's coach over the 200 Breast DQ that they've posted at Swimming World. It is heart-wrenching. I don't really agree with the coach that refs shouldn't call a DQ if the swimmer doesn't appear to be breaking a rule to get an advantage on his competitors but I do agree that refs should be able to use video review if it's available. It's inevitable. Just do it.



Brendan is in a Splash Magazine feature called "The Way it Was, the Way it Is" this month. I just can't picture Brendan in a jean jacket and roller blades. Click on the image for a bigger version. Thanks to Tim for the scan.

News Links:

Swimmer has it all, except Olympic gold

Perfect Swim Is A Myth, Says Hansen
Craig Lord

"At Pan Pacs I went 59.9 or so. It's one of those things where you have to have a perfect race to get the time you know you can get to. I know the training is there but its a question of getting things right. Once you get one thing right, something else goes wrong ... I don't think I've ever swum the perfect race, so there are lots of things to strive for. Maybe you'll never catch it but at least you'll break world records along the way."

snip

Hansen's fan website is running a competition to predict the 1-2-3 finishes in each event in Melbourne. Asked if readers were voting for him, Hansen laughed and told a little white lie: "I'm not actually associated with that website at all. I don't even know what you're talking about but I guess if it is my website I'd hope people would vote for me. It's good for the sport to get that kind of attention, especially in the United States ... it's a positive outlook."

snip

"We (Americans) always have genuine respect for any team, that's ... our outlook on swimming. We go into every meet looking to improve ourselves and get better and do it with the best sportsmanship possible. That's our motto, 'come in, be good people, swim fast and make a name for ourselves'. It seems to have worked in the past."

And in case you missed Brendan's comment in the thread below:

hey
Just wanted to give you guys a heads up. Australia has been pretty nice so far and everyone here seems to be gearing up pretty well. We had media day yesterday which was pretty interesting since I havent seen this kind of attention since the olympics. One reporter actually asked me about the Predictions contest on the BHO website and did I think you guys would be voting for me. The first thing I thought of was DAMN you guys are famous, everyone on the national team pretty much is jealous of the website and I knew of a few people that the visit it often. I answered with a " I hope so" u guys have my back right.
I guess there has been a lot of crap talking going on leading up the meet but other than Larsen I dont think anyone has really responded to anything.
I am looking forward to getting the show on the road and swimming in this type of atmosphere....this could be one hell of a crowd to feed off of.

Have a Safe Trip Lala!

Photo: Lucas Dawson, Getty Images

A photo from opening ceremonies last night - the pool looks incredible! Our own lala leaves for Australia tonight and after a stop-over in Brisbane to visit Holly and see the zoo and the Gold Coast she'll be on her way to Melbourne I believe. I know if she gets an internet connection she'll be checking in with us but it may be a little while before we hear from her.

Have a great trip!

And Happy St. Patty's Day everyone. I don't guess Brendan will get to drink his green beer this year but ain't nothin' stopping me!

NCAA and More from Melbourne...

Ok, I'm going to talk about NCAA's really briefly but then I'm DONE with them (at least until tomorrow).

• Ok, first, Texas, Arizona and Northwestern decide they don't need no freakin' 200 Medley Relay points and all DQ in the first race of the night. Auburn won it with a new NCAA record that also eclipsed the American record held by Aaron, Brendan, Ian and Neil.
• Alex Vanderkaay won the 400 IM for Michigan.
• Albert Subirats of Arizona took the 100 Fly taking down Ian's NCAA, American and US Open records.
• Darian Townsend took the 200 Free. Matt McGinnis of Texas could have had the 2nd place finish if he'd just gone a bit faster in prelims. As it was he had a nice win in the B final.
• Ok, so not a great night for me as a Texas fan so far and then Mike Alexandrov has to go and add insult to injury by blistering the field in the 100 Breaststroke and taking down Brendan's NCAA Meet record and Jeremy Linn's NCAA, American and US Open record.
• Albert Subirats then tops Neil's Pool record and wins the 100 back.
• Steven Segerlin from Auburn wins 3m Diving.
• Arizona sets a new NCAA, American and US Open record by over 2 seconds in the 800 Free Relay. The American record was previously held by....Texas of course.

So, in summary..sucks to be a Texas fan tonight. They fell to 5th after the initial relay and then managed to claw their way back up into 4th by the end of the night. Fingers crossed they can have a top 3 finish when it's all said and done but it won't be easy. Standings are currently: Auburn 380, Arizona 278, Stanford 261, Texas 225 and Florida 199. I think Auburn can feel pretty comfortable with that lead. Looks like 5 in a row for Marsh.

Get full results at Swimming World, who by the way were getting their reports up nearly as fast as Hy-Tek was posting them. I was impressed. They've also got some great audio and video interviews from the meet, including one with Rowdy that I especially enjoyed.

I spent a lot more time on that than I intended. Let's just say my enthusiasm for the men's NCAA meet has seriously diminished at this point so I was very happy when Sarah showed me some great new photos of Brendan from our friends at Getty - even if their watermark is all up in his grill.


Photo: Antony Dickson, AFP


Photo: Antony Dickson, AFP


Photo: Antony Dickson, AFP

Of course Worlds started today even if the swimming is still over a week away. You can see more images of your favorite swimmers and the syncronized swimming at Getty.

And finally, a couple of lovely articles out with quotes from Brendan tonight...

U.S. swimmers mix training and relaxing Down Under
Reese is why Texas rules in pool

NCAA Results for Thursday

First, congrats to Megan. She swam a 24.43 split and her team finished 7th in the 200 Free Relay at Div. II's tonight. She worked so hard to earn that spot this year - spending the summer in Austin training at Texas and then pushing through a shoulder injury to make it through a long season.

Second, BOOOOOOO Northwestern for taking our boys NCAA Medley Relay record. From Jason at Swimming World...

The Wildcats closed out the race with an NCAA-record time of 3:04.40, which lowered the previous standard of 3:04.47 set by Texas in 2003.

That record was previously held by Aaron, Brendan and Ian along with Chris Kemp. :shakes fist at Northwestern!:

Auburn ends the first day with a pretty solid point lead of 187, followed by Arizona with 121 and Texas with 107. Pick it up Texas boys! You can do it!

Read the full results at Swimming World and Jason says if any of you have specific questions, he's there in Minnesota and will try to track down the answers for you. Email him with your question or just to thank him for the great coverage.

And in Worlds News...
They've ARRIVED!


Photo credit AP (as LINKED above)

You can also read blogs by Kara Lynn Joyce and Tara Kirk at WCSN.

Y'all don't forget that tomorrow is the last day to send your questions for Rowdy.

More NCAA action begins today...

We've got the Div. I Men starting up in Minnesota this week with 2nd ranked Longhorns fighting Stanford and Auburn for it's first Championship since 2002. Texas Swimming has some details as does the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships site. Swimming World has put together an impressive Resource Package that they are making available to Premium members. It details the history of each race, the top 15 performers of the last 80 years, biggest and smallest margins of victory etc. You can get the resource guide here. If you aren't a premium member you can still check with them for results throughout the week and weekend as well as follow the action "live" with Hy-Tek.

And Megan Hansen swims the 200 Free Relay this morning at the Div II Championships in Buffalo, NY. Follow the results "live" (come on, we know how Hy-Tek can be). Good Luck Megan!

In non-NCAA news, I want to thank our newest member Jason Marsteller for the shout-out on Swimming World's website yesterday, pimping the traditional BHO Prediction Contest and also welcome any new visitors to BHO as a result. I hope you'll all join in and participate. The more the merrier. I hear Swimming World has some big changes in the works following Worlds. I can't wait to see how it all shakes out and hope the best for the web-home of so many of our favorite writers and photographers.

Worlds Prediction Contest

Since Blair asked in the comments below and I've had some other emails regarding the Prediction contest, I just wanted to post that YES, we will be having one and I'll get it started as soon as we have a Psych sheet to go by, and through lala's insistence we will be doing EVERY event this time. I'm thinking for the prize we may go old school and have a donut gift certificate for the winner as we did for the first contest. Dana Cara can attest to the joy of knowing you are the Supreme Prognosticator while kicking back with some free donuts. There will be a loser prize as well so that those of us less psychically gifted have a shot at a prize too.

The Rules:

For each event listed on the Psych Sheet you will list your top 3 finishers in order of finish. In case of scratches you may want to add a 4th place finisher and if one of your top three scratches the event we will drop them out and move everyone else up a spot. (meaning they don't swim the prelim either - it doesn't count if they swim the prelim and THEN scratch)

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 makes the final.

The person with the most points at the end will be crowned "Most Excellent Swimming Fan Evah" (or until the next contest) and have bragging rights as well as a gift certificate for either Dunkin Donuts or Krispy Kreme.

Q&A with Rowdy Gaines

Rowdy has agreed to a little pre-Worlds Q&A for BHO so y'all email your questions to me by Friday (March 16th) and I'll forward the best 5-10 on to Rowdy. Unfortunately, he won't be doing the commentary for WCSN's coverage this year, so this way we can get our Rowdy fix for the year and hear his thoughts on who to watch, what race he's most excited about, which team members are going to step up and lead,etc. So send me your question NOW..

I believe our Worlds team is leaving either today or tomorrow for Australia so let's keep them in our thoughts for a safe trip over and a very successful few weeks to follow (especially the Texas boys - Hook'em!.)

Some News Links:

Rickard up with the best

Rickard said his 12 months would have made Hansen and Kitajima, who have dominated breaststroke, aware of his presence.

"They realise they have to keep stepping up and swimming at their absolute best, otherwise I might knock them off," he said.

Hansen, who holds, the 100m and 200m breaststroke world records, last week said Rickard was a threat at the world championships in front of his home crowd.

Rickard was flattered by the comments and said he no longer feared racing Hansen.

"I feel I can race anyone in the world and be competitive," he said.

"Previously, I probably felt I was a bit out of my depth."

Swimming's Biggest Rivalry Set to Shake Down in Sydney

U.S. ready to make waves in Melbourne

Update from Brendan and video from Timmeh!

I emailed Brendan over the weekend and asked him if he could give us an update on how he's doing. He wrote back...

I am looking forward to the meet trying not to get too excited since a lot will go on before I take off the blocks. The only insight I can give is that I am feeling better and more prepared than I did last summer. And looking back it was a pretty good one...I think. This is my favorite time of year to do what i love to do most....RACE. I can only control what i do.

Sounds pretty good to me! And yeah, I think last summer was pretty decent. Three personal bests.

Speaking of personal bests..Tim sent me some video from Michigan High School Division 2 State Meet that took place this weekend where he earned a personal best of 2:09.45 in the 200 IM.



It's a shame that at such a young age you've already lost all your hair. Don't worry Tim - Kara Lynn will love you for your personality.

And speaking of Kara Lynn, our own Peter Bick was at NCAA's this weekend and got some GREAT shots of the ladies. You can see them at Swimming World and eventually at his own website, PeterBick.com.

Deck Trash...

I don't normally post a lot of news unrelated to Brendan but this week is just buzzing with all kinds of good swim gossip. So let's dish y'all...

First, the whole Skip Kenney thing that went down today. So apparently Skip got upset with swimmer Mike McLean because he wanted him to train more in the off-season but Mike felt he should concentrate on his summer internship. Skip didn't like it so he removed all the records of Mike and several other swimmers from the Stanford Media Guide. As a result Coach Kenney has now been suspended and pulled from NCAA Championships.

DRAMA!

Swimming World Magazine got Richard Quick to comment on Kenney and his new gig as Head Coach for Auburn here. (It's an audio thang). John Lohn also has a premium article up with regard to Quick taking over for Dave Marsh at Auburn.

Outside of NCAA news, B5Media Dumps Scott Goldblatt and Timed Finals for allegedly taking their files and misrepresenting them to a client as his own work (if I understand it correctly). Oops. I hear tell that Scott is running the "first ever" Swimming Prediction contest over at Timed Finals as well. Hmmm, what a GREAT IDEA.

In other news - Larsen Jensen and Grant Hackett have been having a little war of words this week. So Grant says "I'm tired and not as well prepared as I'd like for Worlds" and then Larsen strikes back with "I think excuses are like butt-holes, everyone has one and they all stink." and Grant says, "show a little respect junior." RAWR! I love it when hot guys fight. What would make it perfect is if we could have a threesome with someone like David Davies maybe.

To close this on an up note, one of my favorite things ever, a John Lohn article with a Bren mention.

Greatest Determination: He might be the best athlete in Delco history, and his determination level might rank No. 1 as well. After all, Brendan Hansen went from just missing an Olympic swimming berth in 2000, just after graduating from Haverford High, to being the world-record holder in the 100 and 200 breaststrokes.

A triple-event medalist at the Athens Olympics, Hansen's accomplishments in Greece arrived four years after he narrowly was touched out, on two occasions, for a berth to the Sydney Games. Yet, rather than sulk, Hansen embarked on a mission to become the globe's premier breaststroker.

The only man to pull off career breaststroke sweeps at the NCAA Championships, while racing for the University of Texas, Hansen is preparing for the World Championships later this month in Melbourne. He's the defending champ in the 100 and 200 breaststrokes.

ETA: Changed the post title as per Mrs. H's suggestion.

Reese speak motivates Hansen

Hard work pushes Texan in pursuit of excellence
By Dave Ungrady / WCSN.com

When Eddie Reese speaks, Brendan Hansen listens, and for good reason. Reese is Hansen's coach with Longhorn Aquatics Club, a year-round swimming and diving program for the community of Austin, Texas, and supported in part by the University of Texas. He also served as the head coach of the men's U.S. Olympic team and will return in that role at the 2008 Summer Olympics in China.

"Eddie Reese said it best one time: 'You don't pick swimming; swimming picks you,'" Hansen said during a teleconference this week. "When you come into this sport, you're kind of unique. And when you get to the level we're at, you're more unique. When you surround yourself with people who have the same goals, and the same mentality, and they're going to push you, hopefully you make them better and you get better. You go into a meet with a lot more confidence, knowing when you train with the best, you do your best. It is important that you train every day with guys who are going to push you."

Surrounding himself with like-minded people has not problem for Hansen. His teammates at Longhorn include world and Olympic champions Ian Crocker, Aaron Peirsol and Neal Walker. All four are part of the U.S. team that will compete at the 2007 FINA World Championships in Australia later this month. And they will be guided in part by Reese, who will be an assistant on the U.S. team.

With that talent pool to train with, Hansen has been one of the more dominant U.S. swimmers over the last few years. He, along with Peirsol and Michael Phelps, won two individual gold medals at the 2005 world championships. As if that wasn't enough, he set three world records in a span of 20 days last summer, breaking the 100-meter breaststroke once and the 200-meter breaststroke twice, and he won three gold medals at the 2006 Pan Pacific championships.

Hansen came away from the 2005 world championships with mixed feelings. He lost to Kouke Kitajima of Japan in the individual breaststroke events at the 2004 Olympics despite entering the meet as the world record holder in both events. He avenged those losses by beating Kitajima in the 100-meter breaststroke at the 2005 worlds, but missed breaking his own word record by .07 seconds. Meanwhile, Crocker set a world record at that meet and Peirsol set a world record in a world championship-qualifying meet.

All that served to help motivate Hansen through the toughest training period of his life in the fall of 2005. Reese said the workouts made Hansen and his teammates so tired they were looking for burial plots. But Hansen now says he is the strongest he's been after adding two pounds of muscle.

He'll need the added strength to hold off his challengers. "I know what I did last summer and what I did at the Olympics has grown a bigger and bigger target on my chest," he said. "That's what comes with fast swimming and doing well at international meets."

Hansen expects a handful of swimmers to challenge him in the breaststroke at the 2007 worlds, most notably Brent Rickard from Australia, a finalist in the 50-meter breaststroke at the 2005 world championships, and Longhorn teammate Eric Shanteau, who was ranked fourth in the world in 2006 in the 200-meter breaststroke.

"He's been swimming well, looks good in workout this week," Hansen said of Shanteau. "I wouldn't be surprised if he blows a 2:09 in the 200 breaststroke. But it's going to be a battle. The racing is the fun part, the training part is tough."

Something Eddie Reese knows very well.

Teleconference up and some links...

Fantastic interview with Aaron and Brendan is now up at WCSN and the transcript is posted by Swimming World Magazine.

Some highlights:

On who is your major competition in your events that motivates you:

"There are a lot of strong competitors. I just know what I did last summer and since the Olympics has drawn a bigger target on my chest. There are a bunch of guys, including Eric Shanteau because he looks that good. Overall, it is the same competitors like Brenton Rickard in his home country. It is going to be a battle, but that is the fun of this sport. The racing is the fun part."

On staying motivated after owning the breaststroke:

"I surround myself with people that don't let me slack at all. It is not so much my personality, but the people I train with every day. They see so much potential, and they continue to try to get me to reach new levels. That is a decision I made, and it has worked for me in the past and the future."

Swimming World left out a little snark that maybe he's taught Shanteau too much. Yes "Brandon", maybe you did. hahaha. Really y'all, listen to the audio if you can. There's some good stuff in there after you get past the looooong musical intro.

Some News Links:

Hosts Look To Others After Thorpe Retires