Miscellaneous "Stuff"

No real Brendan news happening over the weekend but some related stuff to report...

BHO Chat Night is going to move from Wednesday to Sunday starting this week as Brendan begins a Wednesday night class. As he has in the past, he'll join us as his schedule permits. There won't be anymore Chat Recaps unless it's just a really outstanding chat and someone just feels an undeniable, burning neeeeed to recap it. Hope to see you all there. We always have a great time.

Duel in the pool website is online, although not really up and running yet. You can read more about it at Swimming World Magazine.

BHO's own Christi is at Longhorn Swim Camp for the next three weeks and called me yesterday to let me know how things are going. So far she's seen all the guys doing their morning workout and around the pool deck, she's seen all their lockers, she had a stroke clinic with Nate Dusing on Monday, will work with Ian Crocker today and Brendan tomorrow. She may or may not have said that Nate Dusing is waaaay cuter in person. I wouldn't want to embarrass her by posting that. Maybe it was me who said that and she just agreed ;) We've nicknamed Eddie Reese "Yoda" which makes Kris Kubik "Skywalker" I guess. She said Eddie is TOUGH and she can see why the guys are so good, but that he's really great and always smiling. She's having a great time all around, working really hard and promises to keep us updated.

Addicting Games

So...... no Brendan news going into the weekend y'all, but I'll try to post some Speedo Grand Challenge meet reports at some point. I believe Lala and Atrophy will be attending and may have some interesting stories to tell. But until then how about some games instead! Wheeeee! I found a few and dare any of you to beat me at Dolphin Dash. My high score SO FAR is 84,702. Just call me Kitajima (KIDDING JACLYN! :p). I'd have a higher score if I hadn't been distracted by the Gravity game.

You can find more here

Also, I've added BHO Daily Trivia to the Fan Stuff page. It's a little buggy (like sometimes the topic of the question isn't entirely clear) but it's still fun.

Cincinnati Marlins clinic a big success

CINCINNATI - Over 140 swimmers from Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana and Tennessee attended the Cincinnati Marlins Olympic Swim Clinic May 22 at Keating Natatorium.

Olympic medalists Nate Dusing, Dan Ketchum, Neil Walker and world record holder Brendan Hansen provided the swimmers with stroke instruction and racing tips, discussed their Olympic experience and signed autographs.

On May 21, the Olympians hosted a golf tournament at Glenview Golf Course to benefit the Cincinnati Marlins Hall of Fame. This year's inductees were Tami Ransom (Stanford University, Ursuline Academy), Ketchum (University of Michigan, Sycamore High School), Allison Fealey, and Mike Andrews. Each inductee has represented the United States in international competition.

About the Swimmers:
Cincinnati native and Cincinnati Marlins alum Nate Dusing is a 2000 Olympic silver medalist and 2004 Olympic bronze medalist. The former Covington Catholic star was the 2001 NCAA Swimmer of the Year and is a three-time national champion. Dusing is a member of the Cincinnati Marlins Hall of Fame.

Brendan Hansen is the world record holder in the 100 and 200 breaststroke, a 2004 Olympic gold, silver and bronze medalist, and is an NCAA record holder.

Neil Walker is a 2000 Olympic gold and bronze medalist and 2004 Olympic gold and silver Medalist, 1997 NCAA Swimmer of the Year, and winner of eight national titles. He has won 25 NCAA All-America Awards.

Cincinnati native and Cincinnati Marlins alum Dan Ketchum is a 2004 Olympic gold medalist. The Sycamore High School grad was a collegiate standout at the University of Michigan. He was inducted into the Cincinnati Marlins Hall of Fame in a May 21 ceremony.

About The Cincinnati Marlins:
The Cincinnati Marlins are one of the nation's premier swimming programs. The team includes swimmers of all ages and abilities from throughout Greater Cincinnati. The program has developed 18 Olympic swimmers who have won 19 medals. In 2004, Marlins alumni Nate Dusing (Bronze Medal) and Dan Ketchum (Gold Medal) represented the United States at the Olympics in Athens. Marlin swimmers have been national and world champions and have set world and national records. The Marlins tradition continues to drive our coaches, swimmers and parents.

Brendan Hansen Fanlisting

Wheeee! A fanlisting for Brendan! Y'all be sure to register or your fan club membership cards may be confiscated.

Kitajima Tunes Up for World Championships

By Hideki Mochizuki

TOKYO, May 24. OVER the weekend, Kosuke Kitajima put together a pair of quality swims while competing at dual meet between Nihon University and Chuo University, held at the Tatsumi International Aquatic Center. Kitajima was invited to make a special appearance at the meet.

Kitajima contested two events, as he was timed in 1:00.80 for the 100-meter breaststroke and 28.09 for the 50-meter breaststroke. Kitajima will swim both events at July's World Championships in Montreal. He is the defending world champ in the 100 and 200 distances, but failed to qualify for the 200 at last month's Japanese Trials.

Last summer, Kitajima won three medals at the Athens Olympics. Aside from winning both breaststroke disciplines, he helped Japan to the bronze medal in the 400 medley relay. Kitajima owns the second-fastest times in history in the 100 and 200 breast events.

Hall of Fame Tournament and Olympic Swim Clinic are Huge Success

Photos of Brendan from the clinic have been added to the Gallery. You can read more at the Cincy-Marlins website.

Dave Denniston Relay Across America is Smashing Success

By Deena Al Shatti (aka BHO's own Atrophy!)

IRVINE, Calif., May 23.

NO one expected all this.

Not Jason Lezak, who said that the turnout for the Dave Denniston Relay Across America showed the community's feelings for Dave. "It's a lot of love," said Lezak.

Not Jessamyn Miller, who said the event "drove home how incredible (Novaquatics) is."

Not even Dave Denniston, who declared himself overwhelmed by the turnout.

The Dave Denniston Relay Across America took place Saturday at the Woollett Aquatics Center, home of Novaquatics, in Irvine (Calif.). Denniston, a Nova swimmer from 2002 to 2005 and a former NCAA champion at Auburn, was paralyzed in a sledding accident in early February. After the accident, there was an immediate outpouring of support from the swimming community.

It was Dave Salo, head coach of Novaquatics, who came up with the idea of a relay. "I didn't want to do a swim-a-thon. I wanted a celebration instead of having to aim for a certain number of laps."

"Jessamyn took the bull by the horns [to organize this]," said Denniston.

"I went with it," said Miller, "and it spiraled into something more. Volunteers came out of the woodwork. There were events in Colorado and at Auburn University - not exactly like this, but they did their own fundraising for Dave."

The day started off with a pancake breakfast, free for those swimming in the event. After a rendition of the Star Spangled Banner, sung by assistant coach Todd Larson, the relays began. The first heat included a special lane 4 - the Denniston family. The team included Dave, his parents, sister, brother-in-law and his one-year-old nephew, Tim.

"It was like swimming with four parachutes on my back," commented Denniston, who swam all ten laps at the event.

Also at the event were two-time-Olympians Jason Lezak and Lenny Krayzelburg, who both swam in support of their friend.

"When it's your good friend, you wouldn't miss an event like this," said Lezak.

Following the initial heats were the "fun relays", including the "Get-Dressed" relay and a lifesaving relay. Once the fun relays were completed, the last four heats of the day took place, including one with Novaquatics' coaches.

Throughout the day, Denniston signed autographs and hung around the pool deck, interacting with the crowd. There was a constant stream of people approaching him, wishing Denniston well and telling him what an inspiration he was.

The day had nothing to do with competition or finishing times, but was about celebrating Denniston's spirit. "It was about having a good time," said Lezak. "There was no pressure, it was about supporting a good cause, not about how fast you can swim."

While almost everyone tried to complete ten laps, there was fun to be had around the pool as well.

Before diving into the water for his heat, Salo donned a USA robe and Speedo Fastskin suit and paraded around the pool deck, doing his best Gary Hall, Jr. impression, much to the amusement of everyone on deck. When Krayzelburg began doing backstroke during his laps, Salo began to race the backstroke champion. "I beat him," Salo boasted proudly.

While Lezak was finishing up his final heat of the day, a young girl tossed the sprinter a child's floater, which he used to help him complete his final laps.

After the events were done, the final donation total was announced to the crowd: More than $30,000 was raised for the Dave Denniston Fund. A percentage of the funds will be used to help Denniston's rehabilitation at Project Walk, while another percentage will be donated to other spinal cord injury foundations.

"This whole event went really well," said Lezak. "Hopefully Dave will be able to go to Project Walk and get better...he's a determined guy. I know he's going to get the power and strength to walk again."

"We raised a lot more than we were expecting. We thought we would get around $20,000," said Miller, a former Novaquatics swimmer herself. "I'm just ecstatic. I knew Nova was a family team, but I had no idea it would be like this. It drives home how incredible the team is."

"For a first year fundraiser, this is an outstanding turnout for an outstanding individual," Salo said. "We want to make this an annual event."

"I'm just overwhelmed by this, I can't believe the numbers," said Denniston. "I thought the turnout would be good, but this is extraordinary."

Dave Denniston Relay Update

I talked to Atrophy this morning and she said BHOer's contributed a total of $600 in pledges to the relay. WHEEEE! Thanks you guys. As I was speaking to her they announced that over $10,000 had been raised up to that point with many left to swim. Atrophy, Crackinup, Teagan and Lala met Dave, Lenny K, Jason Lezak and Jason's dad. She said she was having a lot of fun and was really glad to be there. They'll be letting us know more later and I'll post pictures.

ETA: More than $30,000 was raised for Dave today and you can see the photos HERE.

World Championships Preview: A Breaststroke Rivalry Rekindled

By John Lohn

PHILADELPHIA, Penn., May 20. THE fourth installment of our World Championships preview series peers at the intrigue surrounding the men's breaststroke events, particularly the impending 100-meter faceoff between the United States' Brendan Hansen and Japan's Kosuke Kitajima.

Breaststroke Battle

Phelps vs. Hoogie. Phelps vs. Hackett. Hoff vs. Klochkova. The potential clashes in Montreal are juicy. But, is there a better storyline than the rematch of Brendan Hansen and Kosuke Kitajima in the 100 breaststroke? Maybe not. After all, the final should feature the two fastest men in history less than a year after controversy surrounded their duel in Athens.

It was at last summer's Olympics where Kitajima edged Hansen for gold in the 100 breast. Yet, Kitajima's tactics during the race raised red flags, as the Japanese star illegally dolphin-kicked off the start and flippered his way off the turn. Consequently, he earned a narrow triumph over Hansen and proceeded to celebrate the victory with a primal-scream routine.

Well, Hansen has not forgotten those post-race antics and is intent on changing the outcome at the World Champs. The world-record holder (59.30), Hansen was scorching at the United States Trials last month, as he blistered world-leading times in the 100 and 200 breast events. Meanwhile, Kitajima sputtered at the Japanese Trials. Although he qualified for the World Champs in the 100, Kitajima failed to do so in the four-lap event.

So, it's down to one meeting, and we're picking Hansen to stand on the top step of the medal podium. While Kitajima owns two of the five sub-minute performances in history, he has not cracked the one-minute mark in two years. As for Hansen, his world-record swim was in another stratosphere. If Hansen swims to his capabilities, Kitajima will not have the ability to stay with the American.

Once finished with his duel with Kitajima, Hansen will shift his focus to a meeting with Dani Gyurta, the Hungarian youngster who won silver at the Olympics in the 200 breast. Long considered the future of the longer breaststroke, Gyurta owns a personal-best time of 2:10.75. What type of progression has he managed in the last year? That answer remains unclear.

In terms of Hansen, the 23-year-old owns the global standard (2:09.04) and went 2:10.20 at the U.S. Trials, a race that saw Hansen maintain world-record pace through 150 meters. Similar to the 100, if Hansen is clicking, he'll be difficult to beat, largely due to Gyurta's come-from-behind style. While Gyurta caught Hansen at the wall in Athens, he's unlikely to do the same against Hansen when the American is in peak form.

Website Updates

Wheeee! I've totally overhauled the Fan Stuff page. It's now a place that will feature links to special Brendan stuff like the Fan Q&A, artwork that you can download for t-shirts, links to fun games and the all new BHO Birthday list. If any of y'all have suggestions for more stuff you'd like to see featured there let me know.

There are also several additions to the Links page and I've reformatted the Bio page. I'M WORKING HARD YO! GIVE ME SOME LOVE!

xoxox.

Busy weekend Ahead!

A brief mention of Brendan's trip to Cincinatti this weekend:

Olympic swimming medalists Brendan Hansen, Neil Walker and Covington Catholic graduate Nate Dusing will be in town this coming weekend to host the Cincinnati Marlins Hall of Fame Golf Tournament on Saturday at Glenview Golf Course and a swimming clinic on Sunday, May 22, at St. Xavier High School. For more information, see the Cincinnati Marlins Web site at www.cincy-marlins.com, or call (513) 761-3320.

An article about the Dave Denniston Relay

A short article about the upcoming Stanford Grand Prix

PALO ALTO, Calif., May 17. SOME of the biggest names in the sport will compete this weekend at the Avery Aquatic Center during the Stanford Grand Prix, the first major tuneup for this summer’s World Championships in Montreal.

The three-day competition runs from Friday through Sunday, and will be highlighted by the presence of Michael Phelps and Natalie Coughlin. Phelps is entered in six events, the 100 and 400 freestyles, the 200 butterfly, the 100 and 200 backstrokes and the 400 individual medley. Coughlin will miss Friday’s slate while graduating from the University of California.

In the breaststroke events, Tara Kirk and Megan Jendrick are set to duel. At the World Champs Trials, Kirk won the 100 and 200 distances while Jendrick was third in the 100 and fourth in the 200. Kate Ziegler will highlight the distance events and Mary DeScenza is scheduled to swim a multi-event program.

Klete Keller and Phelps are likely to square off in the 400 free and Duje Draganja will face Phelps in the 100 free. Draganja, the silver medalist in Athens in the 50 freestyle, will also contest the 50 free and 100 butterfly.

Gallery Updates

I've added several new photos to the gallery this morning including the one from Worlds shown above featuring Scott Goldblatt, Ian Crocker and Brendan and another from the recent Gulf States Challenge. If any of y'all have photos of Brendan that you'd like to see featured in the gallery you can email them to me at admin@brendanhansenonline.com.

Dave Denniston Relay and Water Fest Update

Crackinup informed me over the weekend that we have surpassed the $400 mark, so those of you who were looking for an excuse to donate again - there you have it. Thanks so much to everyone for being so generous. You guys are rockstars!

Only one person could bring all of us together... Happy Birthday Michelle!

Click the image to view your birthday card, Michelle. Card by afadingvoice.

WHEEEE! BIRTHDAYS!

Ok, there can't be any question that people born on May 14th are the most kickass people EVER. Proof....





Taurus is symbolized by the Bull. You may be stubborn, but your grounded, steady demeanor makes you someone others can count on. You're also a sensualist who loves good food, physical affection, romance and material goods -- and only the best of everything.

Even though the symbol of Taurus is the very male bull, this Fixed Earth Sign is all about potent femininity, the kind of natural, earthy beauty that changes lives and moves mountains. Taurus women radiate a simple but powerful beauty; it's this subtlety that is a Taurus woman's greatest charm.

Dave Denniston Marathon Relay and Water Fest

Two of our own, Crackinup and Atrophy, are swimming in the Dave Denniston fund raiser at Novaquatics on May 21st and need sponsors. They'll each be swimming 10 laps and need a minimum of $50 each in pledges to get t-shirts for their effort. Jason Lezak and Dave will both be there, and Dave's parents learned to swim just so they could participate. I'm donating $2 per lap, for a total of $20, but that's not enough so you guys need to help support them if you can and represent BHO!

ETA: I've got "Send if Forward" anklets for the first 20 people who pledge through BHO. Deadline for donations is Friday, May 20th. Thanks for your generosity everyone!

Wheeeeee! School's almost out!

A little something for those of you in the middle of Finals - I feel your pain. Truly. Hope this raises your spirits.

Swimwalker.com

There are some great pictures of Brendan over on Neil Walker's official website. The ones of Brendan fishing are my favorites but there are a couple from Athens and the Golden Goggle Awards as well.

For those of you unfamiliar with Neil he is Brendan's teammate at Texas as well as his National, World and Olympic teammate. His accomplishments are too numerous to go into here but you can read more about him on his website and also on usaswimming.org

Brendan and Neil, along with Nate Dusing, will appear at a Golf Tournament and a Swimming Clinic in Cincinnati on the 21st and 22nd of this month. Read more about it here.

Duel in the Pool

"I love the competitive spirit that brews between the U.S. and Australia whenever we compete against each other," said Olympic gold medalist Brendan Hansen. There's a rich history in this rivalry, and it always seems like great swims happen. I expect this year's Mutual of Omaha Duel in the Pool to be as competitive as ever."

What: United States vs. Australia Telstra Dolphins in a dual meet format

When: August 2, 2005

Start Time: 3 p.m. (PDT)

Where: Woollett Aquatic Center in Irvine, Calif. Seating capacity is 2,600.

Tickets: Call (719) 866-4578 for ticket information or click here to download a ticket application form from www.usaswimming.org.

Television: Worldwide distribution, including NBC in the U.S. NBC air dates are August 6 from 4:30 p.m. - 6 p.m., and August 7 from 1 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Format: 50 meters (Olympic distance)

Events: 4x100 Free relay, 400 IM, 100 Fly, 100 Back, 100 Breast, 100 Free, 400 Free, 200 IM, 200 Back, 200 Breast, 50 Free, 200 Free, 200 Fly, 4x100 Medley relay

Team Size: Each team's roster will be the same as its 2005 World Championships team. Combined scoring for one overall team winner. Athletes can enter up to four events each, including relay swims. Each team can enter up to three athletes in each individual event and one relay team in the relay events.

Tiebreaker: If the competition ends in a tie, a coed 4x50 medley relay will be contested to break the tie. This special relay will be worth one point. Each team must select two men and two women for this relay and can choose which strokes each of these athletes swims.

Scoring: 5-3-2-1 Individual Events, 7-0 Relay Events

Prizes: A traveling trophy will be presented to the winning country. In addition, world record swims will earn $25,000.

Additional links:
Duel Incentive for Swimmers
Duel in the Pool Ready For a Second Run

Is Austin Right for You?

Since so many of you are in LURVE with Austin now I thought it might be fun to take a little location compatibility quiz. So, y'all stop packing those boxes and faxing resume's for a few minutes and do this. And be sure to let us know your results.

Mine (wheeeee!):
65% Austin
60% Atlanta
60% Honolulu
60% Miami
55% San Diego

Which American Cities Best Fit You?

New Additions to Trials Photo Gallery

Ok, so maybe Elysha was a LITTLE slow sending these in , but this one picture of she and Brendan more than makes up for it.

Star swimmers settling in Austin

Pool of Olympic talent is deep
Peirsol, Crocker and Hanson living here, training for more gold.

By John Maher

Former University of Texas swim stars Aaron Peirsol, Ian Crocker and Brendan Hansen aren't homegrown talent, the way most of the Longhorns' Texas-bred football standouts are, but imports from such far-flung places as California, Maine and Pennsylvania.

They came to Austin, won NCAA titles, set world records and struck Olympic gold. Now, the three have bought houses here and put down roots as they begin a four-year cycle that will set them on course for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

"Now, when the plane lands in Austin, I feel like I'm at home, and that's a good feeling," Hansen said.

The three are resuming training here after recently making the U.S. team for the World Championships in Montreal this summer. They're all finishing up their studies at UT while pursuing careers as professional swimmers.

None is quite as well-positioned in the marketplace as eight-time Olympic medalist Michael Phelps, whose deal with an MP3 maker figures to double his earnings to $2 million a year, or Amanda Beard, who'll soon be hawking a line of signature fragrances and hair care products. But all three are current world record-holders who could command six-figure incomes as some of the most recognizable names in the increasingly global sport of swimming.

Crocker's main endorsement deal is with Speedo, while Hansen and Peirsol are with Nike. Peirsol, along with Beard, also endorses a bottled water, Penta.

"Every four years it gets a little better," Texas ex Josh Davis said of the earnings power for top swimmers. "Back in 1988, there were only three swimmers making a living from the sport."

The three Austin swimmers also cashed in on the bonuses awarded by USA Swimming for medal-winning swimmers at the Athens Olympics -- $50,000 for individual gold, $25,000 for silver and $12,500 for bronze (with relay awards shared among team members). Peirsol won two individual and one relay gold in Athens. Hansen had individual silver and bronze medals and a relay gold, while Crocker had an individual silver and relay gold and bronze medals.

Their winning ways continued last month at the U.S. trials in Indianapolis, where Peirsol stunned almost everyone, including himself, by setting a world record in the 100-meter backstroke. He broke his old mark of 53.45, set last summer, with a 53.17. The record came despite taking it somewhat easier this year after trying to peak for the U.S. Olympic Trials and Athens Games in 2004.

Peirsol won both his events in Indianapolis, as did Hansen.

"The Texas guys were better prepared than most," Hansen said. "It gave me a marker going into the summer what I need to do. And getting into racing again got me excited."

Crocker finished second to Phelps in the 100-meter butterfly, just as he did in the Olympics after beating Phelps in the Olympic Trials.

"The main job there was to qualify for the team, and I did that, just get it done and start working again," Crocker said.

Now back home in Austin, Crocker and Hansen have bought houses not too far from the pool in the Circle C subdivision of Southwest Austin, where they do some of their training. "It's pretty convenient," Crocker said. "Getting furniture and getting the house set up has been a lot of fun and it keeps you busy as well. I'm just trying to find some cool furniture, antiques, something that makes it look unique. I've been getting an eclectic mix."

Crocker has been running his errands in his pickup. The classic muscle car he's been restoring, a Riviera, has been in local shops longer than a lot of mechanics. It's been two years now and counting.

"The motor started for the first time a couple of weeks ago. It sounds great," Crocker offered.

The car was briefly assembled for a photo shoot for ESPN The Magazine, for a feature about athletes and their cars, but then torn apart for more work.

Of his Olympic experience, Crocker said, "It was definitely a learning period. It didn't turn out the way I wanted, but at the same time I'm not too disappointed because I felt like I was given my challenges and did the best I could to meet them."

Crocker is currently taking nine hours at UT but plans to scale back and chip away at his degree while concentrating on his swimming, doing clinics and making appearances.

Hansen is going the other route, taking 15 hours and planning to graduate in December.

Hansen, who grew up in Pennsylvania, enjoys hunting and has a 14-foot boat that he and fellow swimmer Neil Walker like to take fishing.

Austin suits him well. "You can drive 10 minutes and be in the city or 15 minutes the other way and be in the middle of nowhere," Hansen said. "You can go camping on the lake and be in solitude or you can go downtown and be shoulder to shoulder with people watching a concert."

For Peirsol, the ocean has always had pull, and he thought he'd go back to California after college, maybe even open a surf shop. But he and his father recently bought some property in Costa Rica. He figures that getaway, a four-hour flight from Houston, might turn out to be the beach house of his dreams instead of something in California. In the past few weeks, he's become the newest Austin homeowner of the three.

"The more I come back here and the more I see of Southern California, the more I have a passion for Austin," Peirsol said. "Southern California is so crazy right now. I love it here in Austin; there's so much character, so much culture.

"Austin is not what you think of Texas as being. I think it's an oasis. It's got lakes, water, and it's very wooded. The atmosphere is great here, and the music. Great bands come through and good bands that you've never even heard of."

Peirsol new home is centrally located, not far from the UT campus. Like Hansen he plans on keeping it even after he's done with swimming.

"If I moved," Hansen said, "I'd like to have a house here so I could always come back. Austin is a tough place to leave."

jmaher@statesman.com

Gallery Addition

As mentioned in the previous thread there has been a glorious new addition to the Gulf States Photo Gallery compliments of Madcooks, a new poster here at BHO and the parent of one of the age group swimmers who was fortunate enough to have a hot swimmer encounter at the hotel Saturday Night. (And not the kind you people are thinking of. Geez.) For those of you who missed the original post in the Gulf States thread here it is...

I was lucky enough to be at the meet with my 12 year old daughter. What a thrill for her to be in the presence of so many great swimmers. I have to say that all the National Team swimmers were so gracious and patient with all the age group swimmers and their parents. They were always smiling for the cameras and always willing to autograph anything. She was able to get a shirt signed by all the "celebrity" swimmers and coaches and pictures taken with most of them. Her biggest thrill was when we got back from dinner on Saturday night at the hotel, they were all sitting in the lobby in front of a koi pond having just returned from a dinner themselves. She asked if she could take a picture, so they all scooted over, put her in the center and I got a fantastic picture of all of them. I printed a 8x10 picture early the next morning and she took it to the meet where she got it autographed by them. She was so excited, I think she was motivated to swim her best ever that morning and make her first "A" time. What a great weekend for her. Once again, I have to commend all of the National Team swimmers that were there for their graciousness and support of the young swimmers.

"It's in the blood"

Ok, Brendan's "Uncle A" posted this story in the chatroom and I asked if I could post it here on the blog for everyone to read because it's so cute.

Good Morning Brendan fans! I'm one of Brendans many Uncles (married to gmom and gpops youngest) and I thought this little story would be "cute" enough to share. My son and I traveled to Orlando for a swim meet (he is a 10/U swimmer) and of course his favorite stroke is the breast. Anyway, we get the heat sheet for the meet and guess who's on the cover? Yup, Brendan. The shot of him when he set the record in Long Beach. Stuart and I just kind of stared at each other when we saw the cover and smirked. He was very proud to see his cousin on the program heat sheet cover. What was cute was the fact that he would "secretly" touch the picture just before he would head up to his race. He did really well as far as the swimming goes. He posted mostly JO times for long course. Not bad for just getting back in the water from a months break. This was his first long course event of the year. So we weren't expecting much. But he ended up taking a first and a couple seconds. It's in the blood. (Wife's side of the family of course.)

I'm told Stuart may have patted the blocks just like his big cousin Brendan did in Long Beach too.

ETA:

Stuart (left) with his cousins Chris and Kevin (Aunt C's boys).


Stuart with his little sister Brooke and older sister Mackenzie who also swims.

Worlds 2001 - Fukuoka, Japan

Wheeee! Another story from Brendan's grandparents.

With the World Championships right around the corner in Montreal, we thought we would tell you a short story about Brendan's first World Championships in Japan 2001.

Brendan qualified for the team at the trials held in Austin, Texas. This time he finished 2nd to Ed Moses in the 200 Breast with a time of 2:12.02. When he arrived at the Championship meet, he was not seated in the top 8 going into prelims. So everyone was hoping he would atleast qualify for the finals. He swam his best times in the prelims and semis, and was seeded fifth for the finals. This was behind the Italian, who won gold in Sydney, a Russian, an Australian, and Ed Moses. At this point he just hoped he would finish in the top three.

It was at this time he started getting advise from coaches, veteran swimmers, and other well-intended people. This made Brendan more confused as to how to swim the finals. At 19, he just wasn't sure whom he should listen to, so he called his mom the night before the race. He couldn't wait till this was all over and he was home. It would be the family vacation time and they would be going to the mountains. This was when his mom told him "Brendan, just remember all you have to do is swim your own race."When they were walking into the pool before the start of the finals, he told us later, he literally heard nothing. While seated behind the starting block, he saw the calm pool, and he felt relaxed, concentrating on what he was going to do. During the race, at the 50 and 100-meter mark, he was still with the other swimmers. At the 150 meter mark, he said to himself, "Man, I've got a chance to win this thing." In the last 50 with a really fast split he did it, and when he was finished he looked up and saw his head flashed on the screen and realized he had won with the time of 2:10.69. At this point, if you look back at the 2001 Photo Gallery, you will see our favorite picture of Brendan. The pool was 9-10 feet deep, we don't know how it happened but he must have gone down to the bottom and propelled himself up almost 3/4's of his body was out of the water, his fist in the air and his mouth wide open.

Later on at the medal ceremony he was given a huge stuffed green and yellow animal, that was the meet mascot. As he was walking around the pool holding the mascot, the people were cheering him, Brendan was wondering how am I going to take this mascot home on the plane. At this point, he threw the mascot high into the stands, and then he suddenly thought, 'Oh my, I hope I haven't done something disrespectful'. But the 18,000 plus Japanese people stood up and applauded his gesture even louder. Later some of the other winners repeated Brendan's gesture and threw their mascots into the stands. When the opportunity came Brendan made phone calls to home and elsewhere. Due to the time difference he could not reach anyone. He just left messages on all his calls saying, "Where is everyone, I just won the best race of my life, and I can't talk to anyone about it."

Stay tuned - tomorrow I have the cutest story about Brendan's little cousin Stuart from "Uncle A".

Brendan mention in new article from John Lohn

Last Thursday, at the Concordville Inn, the Delaware County Athletes Hall of Fame inducted 12 new members. Included in the bunch was Brendan Hansen, the Haverford High School graduate and University of Texas product who has established himself as the premier breaststroke swimmer in the world.

By adding Hansen, the swimming wing is, arguably, the strongest of the Delco Hall of Fame, as it already featured a handful of athletes with Olympic-medal credentials. Sure, the baseball portion is strong, thanks to the presence of Mickey Vernon and Danny Murtaugh. But, take a look at the portfolios of the swimming crew.

- Carl Robie: The Monsignor Bonner graduate captured gold in the 200-meter butterfly at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, defeating a guy named Mark Spitz in the process. Spitz, of course, went on to win seven gold medals at the Munich Olympics in 1972.

- Jane Barkman: Out of Radnor High School, Barkman was a two-time Olympian and finished her career with three Olympic medals. Aside from claiming bronze at the 1968 Games in the 200 freestyle, Barkman won gold as a member of the United 400 free relay in 1968 and 1972.

- Tim McKee: Considering his production in Olympic competition, McKee could be called the Silver Fox. A newtown Square native and Malvern Prep graduate, McKee won silver medals in the 200 and 400 individual medley events at the 1972 Games and repeated as silver medalist in the 200 I.M. in Montreal in 1976.

- Hansen: After narrowly missing out on a berth to the Sydney Games in 2000, Hansen left Athens last summer with a medal trifecta. In addition to snaring silver in the 100 breaststroke and bronze in the 200 breast, Hansen helped the U.S. to gold and a world record in the 400 medley relay.

Thanks to Christi for the heads-up on this one. xoxox

Gulf States Challenge

ETA: A great article about the meet.

Well, I'd love to tell you all kinds of interesting stories but I don't really have much. I should also apologize for the poor quality of the photos I took in the pool area. It was a really stormy morning and pretty dark. Most of the photos are a bit blurry but can be found in the gallery here. When they were signing autographs up front I was able to use a flash and get better results.

I got there about 9:00 a.m. Saturday morning, just as the meet was starting. All the National Team athletes (Brendan Hansen, Aaron Peirsol, Randall Bal, Gary Marshall, Peter Marshall, Maggie Bowen, Nate Dusing, Neil Walker, Jayme Cramer, and Shelly Ripple - who looked about 8 months pregnant) were on bleachers behind the warm up pool on the other side of the natatorium so it was difficult to see them and made more difficult at times by the kids crowded around for autographs. The first race including National Team members was the 50m Breaststroke and all the athletes, minus Peter Marshall lined up at the starting blocks and were announced. Peter Marshall came running up just before the start of the race and was announced as a surprise late entrant (as he was for at least one other race I believe). Result was 1. Brendan Hansen, 2. Gary Marshall and I would have sworn 3. Peter Marshall, but according to the official results it was 3. Christian Clausen. They don't list Jayme Cramer and I could have sworn he was in lane 7 or 8. My memory is unreliable at the best of times though so we'll go with the official results on this. There were a few other national team member races throughout the morning and I didn't take notes so I'll just list the official results below (I don't even remember what order they were in and they aren't listed in order on the results page):

Event 19 Mixed 50 LC Meter Breaststroke
======================================
Name Age Team Seed Finals Points
======================================
1 Hansen, Brendan S 23 Longhorn-ST 27.99 29.76 9
2 Marshall, Gary N 23 Stanford-PC 28.45 30.07 7
3 Clausen, Christian X 24 Unat. Lsu-LA 29.10 35.12 6
4 Bal, Randall M 24 Stanford-PC 39.20 35.20 5
5 Peirsol, Aaron W 21 Longhorn-ST NT 35.49 4
6 Marshall, Peter J 22 Stanford-PC 39.00 36.69 3

Event 20 Mixed 50 LC Meter Butterfly
=====================================
Name Age Team Seed Finals Points
=====================================
1 Cramer, Jayme O 22 Stanford-PC 24.57 25.83 9
2 Walker, Neil S 28 Longhorn-ST 24.30 25.85 7
3 Marshall, Peter J 22 Stanford-PC NT 25.98 6
4 Dusing, Nate J 26 Longhorn-ST 24.74 26.28 5
5 Peirsol, Aaron W 21 Longhorn-ST NT 26.42 4
6 Bal, Randall M 24 Stanford-PC 26.80 26.49 3

Event 14 Boys 19 & Over 100 LC Meter Backstroke
=====================================
Name Age Team Seed Finals Points
=====================================
1 Peirsol, Aaron W 21 Longhorn-ST 53.17 1:00.75 9
2 Bal, Randall M 24 Stanford-PC 54.20 1:00.92 7
3 Marshall, Peter J 22 Stanford-PC 56.50 1:01.14 6
4 Rapp, Larry J 20 Bengal Tiger-LA 1:03.42 1:06.12 5
5 Lehmann, Karl M 19 Bengal Tiger-LA 1:09.59 1:14.91 4
6 Suplee, Mark J 19 Bengal Tiger-LA 1:12.86 1:16.46 3

Event 10 Boys 19 & Over 100 LC Meter Freestyle
=====================================
Name Age Team Seed Finals Points
=====================================
1 Walker, Neil S 28 Longhorn-ST 49.95 52.23 9
2 Cramer, Jayme O 22 Stanford-PC 53.04 53.16 7
3 Dusing, Nate J 26 Longhorn-ST 50.41 53.57 6
4 Peirsol, Aaron W 21 Longhorn-ST 51.41 54.27 5
5 Rapp, Larry J 20 Bengal Tiger-LA 53.53 55.48 4
6 Vivo, Jeff A 19 Unattached 56.54 56.72 3
7 Lehmann, Karl M 19 Bengal Tiger-LA 57.44 1:01.12 2
8 Suplee, Mark J 19 Bengal Tiger-LA 58.49 1:01.95 1

Of course every time one of these races was about to begin all the kids ran down to stand at the railing and cheer. Brendan and Aaron were, of course, favorites with the girls but none of them did too shabby in the applause and excitement department. And please notice what a busy morning Aaron had. The only race he DIDN'T swim was the 200 breaststroke. Randall Bal wasn't exactly slacking off either. After their final race of the morning Aaron and Randall stood over by the competition pool for at least 30 - 45 minutes signing autographs. I was able to get quite a few great shots of them because of that.

Now, the only real "event" was in the 200 Breaststroke. About 15 or 20 meters in Brendan stopped, adjusted his goggles and started swimming again. The entire crowd groaned when this happened. Not surprisingly he still finished a good bit ahead of every other swimmer but was apparently DQ'd. (BOOOO!). I asked him later what happened but it was so loud in there I couldn't hear exactly what he was saying, only that he wasn't going to swim the entire race with his goggles around his neck. Final results were:

Event 16 Boys 19 & Over 200 LC Meter Breaststroke
=======================================
Name Age Team Seed Finals Points
=======================================
1 Marshall, Gary N 23 Stanford-PC 2:24.56 2:25.55 9
2 Lehmann, Karl M 19 Bengal Tiger-LA 2:51.40 3:00.68 7
3 Suplee, Mark J 19 Bengal Tiger-LA 2:42.79 3:00.75 6
-- Hansen, Brendan S 23 Longhorn-ST 2:14.77 DQ

I think several boys from the 17-18 age group swam in this heat as well but aren't listed in these results. Another kind of funny thing was Brendan walking up to the blocks before heat 9 looking like he thought it was his time to swim (he was in heat 11). I think the kid who was up to swim in that heat set him straight and shook his hand and they talked for several minutes. When that kid finished his race Brendan shouted after him "nice race Bob" or something like that. (Once again, it was really loud in there and difficult to hear.) I thought it was a really nice thing for Brendan to do and I'm sure the kid appreciated the recognition. Even while Brendan was waiting to swim he was surrounded by kids and parents wanting pictures and autographs. And while he was in the warm-up pool getting ready for the 200m there was a small group of kids at the end of the lane and every few laps Brendan would stop and chat with them. The guys took all of this attention with so much grace and ease. I was very impressed with all of them, but especially so with Brendan and Aaron who also went out of their way to engage the kids and talk to them.

After the morning races were over all the National Team Athletes and Coaches signed autograph cards and a looooong line of people cued up for their chance to say hello and get an autograph. Brendan wasn't out there at first and I wasn't sure if I was going to stand in line or not. I stepped outside to call and check on the kids and return Lala's phone call. I told her what the situation was and she told me to get my butt back in there and get in line. (I confess I was really nervous and was almost glad Brendan wasn't up there). Of course, by the time I went back in he was there, first in line with a huge crowd of people in front of him. I walked back into the pool area where the cue started and waited my turn. So many kids in the line in front of and behind me were supposed to be getting ready for their heats, warming up or talking to their coaches that I felt a little guilty and let a few kids sneak in ahead of me. Finally we turned the corner and I could see Brendan. When it was my turn I went to introduce myself but it was so loud he couldn't hear me so I repeated it again and he still didn't hear and so I said Michelle again and it finally clicked I think and he smiled and asked me if I'd seen what happened in the 200. That's when I asked what had happened. He shook his head and was saying something to the woman in line behind me and I kept sliding down the table, feeling bad that I was holding up the line. He looked at me and said something which looked liked a question so I leaned in and asked him to repeat it. He was asking if I wanted to take some pictures, probably because I was still standing there staring at him, and I told him that I just wanted to say hello and kept sliding down the table (concious of the line curving around the corner and a good 50 meters beyond). I looked down the table at Aaron and heard Brendan shout my name so I looked back and he'd autographed a card for me (Best Webmaster!) which he then handed to me or had someone else hand to me (Gary Marshall? It's all a blur now). He was honestly twice as cute in person as he is in pictures and very charming. I wish I'd had more time to talk to him but I already felt kind of guilty taking time away from all the little swimmers who were waiting. I'm sure for most of them it was an event they'll remember for years to come and it will inspire a few of them on to greatness. I missed the coaches (Eddie Reese, Skip Kenney and Don Gambril) but did manage to grab a card and say hello to the other swimmers before leaving. It was a lot of fun and I only wish I'd been able to stay for Sunday's races as well. It will probably be quite a long time before I get to see so many great swimmers in such a small venue again.