BHO Get-Together in Omaha!

Wheeeee! It's not long off now, just four more months until Trials. A few people have contacted me or posted in the comments asking about tickets and accommodations so I thought I'd start a thread for those just now deciding that they can't bear to miss the action. We've been discussing it in chat every week but I know not everyone can make it Wednesday nights (Project Runway and American Idol are on after all).

On the hotel end...I looked for something walking distance to the venue but everything was sold out. After the realization that I was going to have to drive and park no matter what, the search was on for something affordable and I found that in the Best Western about 6 miles away in Bellevue. We got the $64 a night business rate which is kickass and last I heard there were still a few rooms available if any of you would like to look into booking rooms there as well. We may also be able to squeeze one more person in with us so if you are travelling on your own and want a roomie you should either post in the comments below or come to chat later tonight or next week.

Hotel info:
Best Western White House Inn
305 N Fort Crook Road
Bellevue, NE, US 68005-4698
Phone number: 402-293-1600

Then there is the issue of tickets. Some of us have already purchased but there are others who either aren't going for the full week or who are but have only recently decided to go that are looking for some seatmates. I know Stella is looking and I think Maria and Melissa may be as well. Coordinating on the ticket purchase thing can be difficult as you have to buy at the same time and it has to be paid in cash or with a Visa card (which is really stupid). I went in with some regular posters who I've met at previous meets and don't really want to get in the middle of trying to coordinate for another large group but I do highly recommend going in with a group if you can. Watching with other fans is always more fun than sitting alone and I've yet to meet a sketchy swimming fan. That said, seating options are kinda dreadful. I'm going to be down on the corner at the turn end up in the cheap seats (section 209) with Jenny, Amy and Sarah. That was really the best we could do. Lala got the pimp seats lower level at the 50 yard line and I believe the Hansen's will be pretty close to her. Anyone else who already has tickets please post and let us know where you'll be so we can be on the lookout. Anyone looking to buy with others post below so those others know.

Ticketmaster page for Trials.

And finally, several BHO'ers going to Omaha will be celebrating birthdays in and around that time and we are planning at least one night out for Birthday Margaritas and Mexican food if any of you would like to join us. If not for Birthday night, then definitely for drinks at the hotel one night or lunch between sessions. Things get a little crazy once we are at a meet and it can be tough to keep up with everyone, especially those staying at different hotels, but all are welcome. Please step forward and introduce yourself if we haven't already met.

Encore Swim Spectacular

Press Release:

World Record. n. 1. An extreme attainment, the best performance ever in the whole world (as in The Encore Swim Spectacular); "He shattered the World Record"

The Texas Pros and HPL are proud to announce the First Ever Encore Swim Spectacular Sunday, March 9th from 3-5pm at the Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swim Center in Austin, Texas. Come See Swimming's Brightest Stars Chase Down World Records to Benefit Charity!

Aimed at raising money for The S.W.I.M. Program and elevating the level of swimming in the public eye, The Encore Swim Spectacular features two hours of break-free, non-stop action from start to finish. After hosting the All-American Invite, the Swim Center will dim the lights and throw the spotlight on a 25m pool filled with the world's best. Come see a growing cast of talent that includes World Record Holders Ian Crocker, Aaron Peirsol, Brendan Hansen, Cullen Jones, Roland Schoeman and Neil Walker as well as an All-Star Cast featuring Tara Kirk, Dana Kirk, Nick Brunelli, Eric Shanteau, Garrett Weber-Gale, Matt Grevers, Dale Rogers, David Cromwell, Adam Ritter, Craig Chapman and Tommy Sacco.

Fans will not only see first-hand the very athletes that they will watch on TV this summer from thousands of miles away at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, but also partake in the first major swim event aimed exclusively at the crowd's enjoyment. Spectators will be treated to a live band, raffles to come on deck and interact with their heroes, grudge matches between athletes that will compete for Gold Medals this summer as well as the opportunity to witness what these stars are like both in the pool and with their caps and goggles off.

Tickets can be purchased at: www.encoreswim.com
Act fast, as limited seating is available.

Athletes will be donating proceeds from the event to The S.W.I.M. Program, which was established in 2006 with the goal of helping teach the sport of swimming to low socio-economic kids in Austin, Texas. More information is available at their website: www.swimaustin.org

Breaststroke Records Falling...

Christian Sprenger set a new Australian 100m Breaststroke record at the Bisbane Metropolitan Championships..

Christian Sprenger, a 22-year-old Queensland University of Technology student, smashed the Australian 100 metres breaststroke mark at the Brisbane Metropolitan Championships at Chandler.

The Stefan Widmer-coached Olympic hopeful clocked a stunning time of 1:00.15, the seventh fastest time in history and he is now the third fastest swimmer in the world over the past two years.

Sprenger's time clipped 0.24 secs off the previous Australian record set by 2007 World Championship bronze medallist Brenton Rickard (1:00.39) at the 2006 Pan Pacific Championships in Victoria, Canada.

And Kitajima set a new Japanese National Record in the 100m at Japan's Short Course Nationals today.

From Swimming World Magazine...

Kitajima also showed his preparation for Beijing is on track. Swimming in prelims with the Japanese record of 57.89, he broke it again in evening final at 57.62 touching first 50m at 27.14.

"I thought I was just breaking the WR (57.47) but it just did not happen," Kitajima said. "Overall, under current circumstances, I am swimming well as today's performance is at least my personal best. I will shoot for the long course world record in the upcoming Olympic Trials in April."

One of the articles on Christian said he was wearing the new Speedo LZR suit and since Kitajima is also a Speedo athlete I'm guessing he might have been as well. All signs point to this suit being very fast.

Missouri GP - 100 Breaststroke Final Results

Mens

1 Hansen, Brendan 1:00.85
2 Gangloff, Mark 1:01.24
3 Usher, Scott C 1:01.46

Womens

1 Kirk, Tara J 1:07.25
2 Hardy, Jessica 1:07.89
3 Hehn, Keri L 1:09.50
-----------
8 Beard, Amanda R 1:10.83

Full results available here and at Floswimming.org where you'll also find some lovely on-deck interviews. Don't miss "The Bean" and keep in mind that these are grown men (and Katie Hoff). Best video ever on Floswimming.

Missouri GP - 200 Breaststroke Final Results

Men

1 Shanteau, Eric 2:10.86
2 Usher, Scott C 2:11.80
3 Hansen, Brendan 2:12.51 (29.79 - 33.16 - 34.16 - 35.40)
4 Pogioli, Giorda 2:13.16
5 Polyakov, Vlad 2:13.59
6 Gangloff, Mark 2:15.26
7 Versfeld, Neil 2:15.44
8 Hurley, Ryan P 2:18.77

Women

1 Hehn, Keri L 2:27.13
2 Poleska, Anne 2:28.89
3 Kirk, Tara J 2:29.08
4 Beard, Amanda R 2:29.65
5 Marmolejo Varga 2:29.78
6 Tinnon, Elizabe 2:30.14
7 Stupp, Julie A 2:34.73
-- Bernhardt, Vipa DQ

More Results here. 100 Breaststroke prelims tonight and finals tomorrow morning.

Missouri Grand Prix Results...

Photo Credit: Andrea Nigh

200 Backstroke:

30 Hansen, Brendan 2:11.88
31.05 - 33.21 - 34.25 - 33.37

Live meet results available here. The prelims for the 200 Breast are tonight and then finals in the morning. Best of luck Brendan!

Hansen sees Missouri Grand Prix as a chance to get back into shape for competition

At the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece, Hansen was touched out by Kosuke Kitajima of Japan in the finals of the 100-meter breaststroke, finishing second by .17 seconds. He said that race against his "biggest competitor" has stayed in the back of his mind and has proved to be a motivational tool in his training since then.

"I've beat him every single time since then, but that doesn't matter," Hansen said. "It's still the Olympics. You turn it around and make it a positive, and compete better and harder and faster. You use it to go back to the Olympics and be more prepared and make sure that it never happens again."

Since that race, Hansen has taken nothing for granted, including his spot on the U.S. National Team.

"As of right now, I'm not on the team," Hansen said. "It's still a stressful situation. Your mind-set has to be that nothing's going to get in the way."

Hansen has been training for the Olympic trials with the Longhorn Aquatics club in Austin, Texas, since September and said the Missouri Grand Prix is a chance to get in racing shape.

"We look at these meets as a chance to get away from our vigorous training," Hansen said. "We get to dust the cobwebs off and see how well we match up with people."

Hansen will swim in the preliminaries of the 100-meter freestyle and the 200-backstroke today. He competes in the preliminaries of the 200-breaststroke Saturday and the 100-breaststroke Sunday. The Grand Prix marks the first long-course meet - the same format as the Olympic trials and the Olympics - that Hansen has competed in since the U.S. National Championships in August.

"Everything from now until the trials is definitely a tune-up," he said. "We're trying to prepare ourselves for the big show at the Olympics this summer."

Hansen said the Grand Prix is a particularly attractive meet because of the competitive field of athletes and its format mimics the Olympics. Preliminaries will be held in the evening, with finals of the same events being held the following morning.

"This meet in particular I'm really looking forward to," Hansen said. "This is the first meet I've had the chance to swim like that. All that national and international experience will go aside here, and we'll see what it's like to get up in the morning and race."

Missouri Grand Prix later this week...

Swimming's elite to compete at meet in Columbia

The world record holders in 11 of the meet's 26 individual events will be competing.

Phelps, Ryan Lochte, Aaron Piersol, Brendan Hansen and Ian Crocker are the men's record holders and Natalie Coughlin and Kate Hoff hold the women's records.

According to Linhart,the big names mean many swimmers will get to see how they stack up against world-class competition. She added that with the high level of competition, there is some possibility that more world records will be in danger of being broken at the meet.

In an effort to simulate conditions that will be seen at the Olympics this summer, preliminary rounds are being swum in the evening with the finals the next morning. The finals for the preliminary heats on Friday night will take place on Saturday morning.

Psych Sheet online here.

Some noteables:

• Amanda Beard entered in a packed Breaststroke field with Tara Kirk, Keri Hehn, Jessica Hardy and Caitlin Leverenz.
• Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte facing off with Aaron Peirsol in the backstroke.
• An Ian Crocker and Michael Phelps showdown in the 100 fly (Our boy Mike Cavic is the third seed in that race).
• Thiago Pereira up against Phelps and Lochte in the 400 IM.
• And of course Brendan getting a chance to stretch out and let it fly in this Long Course format against Mark Gangloff, Eric Shanteau, Darren Mew, Vlad Polyakov, Giordan Pogioli and many others (including Phelps).

It's going to be a VERY exciting meet and an early preview of Olympic Trials.