Brendan
Brendan Hansen, an American swimmer specializing in the breaststroke, is the fastest in the genre in history. He is a four-time Olympic medalist with 2 Gold, 1 Silver and 1 Bronze, and a two-time Olympian (2004, 2008). He has set several records and is also the only person to win all breaststroke events at the NCAA Championships, all four years. Apart from setting milestones, Brendan Hansen has also won many International Medals.
Below are compiled some of the quotes on Brendan Hansen by famous personalities.
1. Aaron Peirsol (Top class swimmer)
“Brendan goes fishing more than he goes swimming right now. He and Neil (Walker) and Ed go fishing and hunting a lot. Brendan is done with school so now has more free time”.
2. Evan Morgenstein (Brendan's agent @ PMG Sports)
"I think the thing that sets Brendan apart is that you get a sense of who he is and where he’s from. He’s honest and straight forward. He is who he is, and people like that. In swimming, his visibility is heightened. Long Beach and the Olympics were a continuation of his success, and I anticipate that there’s more fire in the tank."
3. Phillip Whitten (the Editor-in-Chief of Swimming World Magazine)
"The kid is technically nearly perfect. He’s incredibly strong and he has both the endurance and the mental toughness to stay on top of the heap for a long time to come."
4. Phillip Whitten (the Editor-in-Chief of Swimming World Magazine)
"Brendan Hansen is not only one of the world’s premier athletes, he’s also a world-class human being. 2004 was a watershed year for Brendan, a year in which he established his credentials as the man in his events. It is entirely fitting that Brendan is the first person to be named your Sports Figure of the Year twice. Be prepared, though, to select him again next year, and the next."
5. Megan Hansen (Brendan's sister)
"There’s so much pressure, but Brendan feeds off it. Brendan’s amazing."
6. Eddie Reese (Texas Longhorns coach)
"He has great ability from the 50 to the 200. He's a very talented swimmer. It's one thing to have that ability. But it's another thing to have the mental edge and mental staying power he has. He's a tough kid. With his talent and how hard he works, I see him getting better every year."
7. Eddie Reese (Texas Longhorns coach)
"Brendan is a hard worker, which sounds simple and old-fashioned. But the great ones have those virtues. He’s a great human being and a great team leader. He has all the attributes. Brendan isn’t fast. His gift is the ability to not slow down. Once he gets going, he doesn’t stop. He has race courage and is great under pressure, regardless of the circumstance."
Father – Buzz Hansen, assistant manager for Verizon.
1. On his 4 x 100 medley relay leg, “When Aaron Peirsol gives you that kind of lead, it’s easy to beat everybody. I wasn’t sharp all week. It was tough for me to get up for my individual events. But walking out with these three guys, it didn’t matter how I felt in warm-up. It didn’t matter how I felt all week. I can’t tell you enough how this is such a good note for us to end on.”
Brendan Hansen is a four-time Olympic medalist and the best breaststroker ever. Apart from working towards his passion, Hansen has been working with the Leukemia Research Foundation (LRF) as the national spokesperson since October 2004. He has been actively associated with the Chicago based foundation in developing a series of events and programs for fund raising. The funds are being utilized for worldwide medical research on causes and cures for leukemia, lymphoma and other blood cancers.
Breaststroke is a swimming style in which the swimmer swims on chest, and the torso isn’t rotated. The style is extremely popular for recreation due to its stability and the provision to keep the head out of water for a greater portion of time. However, it requires more endurance and leg strength and is therefore considered to be one of the most difficult strokes in competitive swimming.