Fan Video from Alexandra in Hungary

I just love when fans make Brendan art. This one comes all the way from Hungary!



Wheeee! I love it! Thanks Alexandra!

Official Anthem and Music Video for Olympic Swimmer Brendan Hansen Unveiled

From the press release...

July 9, 2008

Havertown rapper Skip-Dawg has just unveiled the official anthem (and music video) for U.S. Olympic Gold Medalist and World Record holder, Brendan Hansen, as excitement builds for the fast approaching 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.

snip

Skip-Dawg penned "We Will Rise" as a tribute to his former teammate and longtime friend, Brendan Hansen, and has dedicated the song "to Brendan and to all the fans who love, support, and cheer him on in his quest for gold in the 100M Breastroke and 4x100 Medley Relay this August in Beijing."

Hey, that's us!!!

"We Will Rise" CD available at:Official Website, iTunes

2008 US Olympic Swimming Team

Nathan Adrian, Amanda Beard, Elizabeth Beisel, Ricky Berens, Caroline Burckle, Elaine Breeden, Natalie Coughlin, Ian Crocker, Mark Gangloff, Matt Grevers, Brendan Hansen, Jessica Hardy, Kathleen Hersey, Margaret Hoelzer, Katie Hoff, Megan Jendrick, Larsen Jensen, Cullen Jones, Kara Lynn Joyce, Klete Keller, Ryan Lochte, Jason Lezak, Christine Magnuson, Christine Marshall, Lacey Nymeyer, Aaron Peirsol, Michael Phelps, Allison Schmitt, Eric Shanteau, Emily Silver, Julia Smit, Rebecca Soni, Scott Spann, Gil Stovall, Chloe Sutton, Dara Torres, Kim Vandenberg, Peter Vanderkaay, Erik Vendt, David Walters, Mark Warkentin, Garrett Weber-Gale, Ben Wildman-Tobriner, Kate Ziegler

Fan Video of Brendan

Look what I found on You Tube!



Nice work Niblag07.

Y'all don't forget Brendan is swimming in Ohio this weekend and Peter Bick is there taking photos. You can get full results at the Meet Website and also from Swimming World Magazine.

100 Breast Prelim Results:

1 Jacobo Rodrigue 1:03.20
2 Hansen, Brendan 1:03.73
3 Shanteau, Eric 1:03.75
4 Opell, Aaron D 1:03.91
5 Phelps, Michael 1:04.01
-----
9 Usher, Scott C 1:05.02

ETA: 100 Breast Final Results:

1 Hansen, Brendan 1:01.10 (28.71,32.39)
2 Shanteau, Eric 1:02.46
3 Jacobo Rodrigue 1:02.72
4 Phelps, Michael 1:02.80
5 Arreguin Wagner 1:03.36
6 Cullen, Eric P 1:03.81
7 Travesso, Felip 1:04.04
8 Opell, Aaron D 1:05.29

200 IM Final Results:

1 Shanteau, Eric 24 Longhorn Aquatic 2:05.93 2:01.74 OLY
2 Vendt, Erik K 27 Club Wolverine-M 2:04.30 2:02.42 OLY
3 Peirsol, Aaron 24 Longhorn Aquatic 2:04.70 2:03.37 OLY
4 Farra, Justin P 19 Ohio State Unive 2:05.48 2:05.28 OLY
5 Mellors, Pat W 22 Jewish Community 2:06.43 2:05.30 OLY
6 Hansen, Brendan 26 Longhorn Aquatic 2:06.80 2:05.52 OLY
7 Liebhold, Tim D 25 Mecklenburg Aqua 2:04.74 2:05.70 OLY
8 Hitchcock, Bren 18 Dayton Raiders-O 2:07.54 2:07.40 OPN

Congrats Brendan!

FloSwimming Video Interview with Brendan

Yeah, I know. I was all, "What the heck is Floswimming?" too. But who cares, they have a great video interview up with Brendan from just last week.

Anyway, go watch Brendan. It's great! And then go watch Eddie's interview and Dale Rogers!

Yay it's Monday!

My swimming instructor is polite enough not to ride on my back and whip me with a stick, but in so many other ways this video is uncomfortably familiar...



(Grabbed that link while checking out Uinnista.)

Belated Happy Birthday to Bee!

More from Duel in the Pool!

The Men's 100 Breaststroke...



And the Mixed Relay with Libby Lenton's WR...



From BeeSwim at You Tube

Men's 4x100 Medley Relay from Duel in the Pool

Thanks lala!

Video of the 100 Final

Brendan's Greatest Hits pt. 4

Psych sheet anytime soon FINA? USA Swimming? Anyone?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TIMMAY!

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.

Greatest Hits 3

Picture this: We're standing on the top-most bench and it bounces up and down with every movement as I'm holding my camera with both hands and trying to keep it steady without taking a nose dive into the bleachers below me. If you listen closely you'll hear me freaking out a little as Blair hops up onto the bench next to me. She appropriately laughs at my panic attack. Good Times. Such an exciting race and then you get to hear Sean calling at the end. You should have been there Sean!

Brendan's Greatest Hits cont.

And Kitajima in the news...
Second Day of Japan Open Closes With Eight Japanese Records
Kitajima winds up Japan Open with national records
Kitajima wins easily at Japan Open

To put this in a little perspective the last 200 Breast Short Course time we have from Brendan is an in season time of 1:53.78 at the Long Beach Grand Prix, Kitajima was at 2:04.96 here. Brendan's 100 time from the same meet was 52.81. Kitajima's winning time this weekend was a 58.34. Times are pretty even when converted but Brendan's times are from over a month ago and Kitajima is probably already in his taper for Worlds. As happy as Kitajima is with his performance it's looking like Brendan's toughest competitor at Worlds this year may be Texas teammate Eric Shanteau and Brenton Rickard who will be swimming with a home team advantage.

Thanks for the links lala!

Brendan's Greatest Hits

It's hard to believe it was so long ago. He was only 22...now he's an old man of 25!

ASCC Wrap-up and looking ahead to Melbourne...

For those of you unable to watch You Tube videos I've uploaded the original .wmv version of Ian's 100 free. Click on the pick below to download.



I think I've added the last of the photos from American Short Course to the Gallery now (I know, so sad it's over). Peter was a true rockstar as he always is and took some amazing photos. You can see them in our gallery and also at his website PeterBick.com (eventually). You can also find them at Sarah's website and at Swimming World Magazine. Speaking of Sarah, I've uploaded her photos from the meet to our gallery as well. Here are a few of my favorites below.


Mr. H sporting his official meet shirt. Photo courtesy of Peter Bick.


Ian with a fan. ;) Photo courtesy of Peter Bick.


Brendan being adorable, as he does. Photo courtesy of Sarah.

Rickard gets faster, but still chasing

AUSTRALIAN champion Brenton Rickard was on track to post his best 100 metres breaststroke at next month's world titles in Melbourne but he still would be chasing world champion and record-holder Brendan Hansen.

Rickard's coach Vince Raleigh said the swimmer's times at the trials last weekend in Canberra showed that he was on par with the form he displayed before unleashing a personal-best of one minute 0.39 seconds in coming second to Hansen at last August's Pan Pacific championships.

But Raleigh said it was unlikely that Rickard, who will be competing in the three breaststroke events but whose favoured distance is the 100, would get near the American, who owns the best times in the world for the 100 and 200.

Rickard's time ranked him the second-fastest 100 breaststroker in the world last year but Hansen beat that time five times, including setting the world record at 59.13. Raleigh said Hansen's times at recent meetings while in heavy training indicated he was again looking at swimming sub-60 seconds.

"On times, at the moment, no, I don't think (Rickard can beat Hansen). We just need to get close to him," Raleigh said. "The real aim for Brenton is to narrow the gap. With Hansen's times and the world record that he set last year, we just need to be slowly moving forward. We've still got 18 months, or a bit less now, to the Olympics … hopefully, Hansen doesn't move forward as well but he certainly had a great year …"

He was confident Rickard would be in the mix for the silver in the 100. "We're looking at maintaining his world ranking, which is second in the world. That would be a good result," Raleigh said. "If anything else happens above that, then fantastic but really at this stage, we're just trying to consolidate where we're at and move forward and hopefully there's enough time between now and Beijing."

Jim Piper has the highest world ranking for an Australian in the 200 breaststroke — second last year behind Hansen — although the time of 2:10.51 was set at the Commonwealth Games selection trials last February and Rickard beat him at the national titles in December.

Rickard will face competition for the minor medals from a number of swimmers in the 100 breaststroke.

More from American Short Course Championships

BHO Group at Gueros for lunch. Left to Right: Tyler, Sarah, Blair, Me, Peter and my son Chris.

Ian Crocker had an amazing swim in the 100 free tonight and brought the crowd to it's feet. He replaced Matt Biondi's pool record and came very close to a new American Record in the process. Imagine what he'll be capable of when he's shaved and tapered.



Aaron Peirsol stepped out of the backstroke box and swam some other events this meet. This is his 200 Butterfly prelim (he skipped out on the final). As Gpop says, imagine what he could do with a better breaststroke.



Brendan's roommate Craig "Chappy" Chapman had a great swim in the 200 Backstroke tonight finishing 3rd with a new personal best. Thank goodness he swam better than we cheered.



Chappy also won the 500 Free at this event and we set up a little webpage for him to celebrate his victory. You can see more at www.ConciergeChappy.com

News Links:

American Short Course Championships Complete Second Day

Pair of American Records Nearly Set at American Short Course Championships

I'll be adding more of Peter's meet photos to the Gallery as I get them and you can see them in Swimming World Magazine's meet coverage as well.

Friday Prelims

Brendan qualified first in this mornings 100 Breast prelim but is calling it a meet and not doing the final tonight or the 200 tomorrow. Gotta save it for the big game next month. We were treated to a 100 backstroke from Brendan as well but my memory card was full around the 75 yard mark and stopped recording. The best part of the race was watching Brendan trying to find his lane anyway. Enjoy!



Full Results HERE

ETA: New photos from Peter in the Gallery, like this one...

Thursday Results

Prelim Report:

Brendan qualified 1st in the 200 IM this morning and says he only needs to drop 4 seconds to be in the running tonight. haha. We're confident he's going to win it all!



Sorry there's no sound. I need to check the settings on my camera and fix that for tonight's final.

Here are some fantastic photos from Peter Bick - watch for more coming in the gallery later tonight!






Finals Report:
Ok, so we were a little overconfident. Brendan was just touched out of the top 3 for a 4th place finish in the IM tonight. Oh, and I found out I have this little button on my laptop that mutes sound, so uh, problem fixed. ;)



Check out Ian Crocker Online for Ian's videos from Thursday.

Links:

Olympic medalists Hansen, Crocker among alumni racing Saturday

"Everywhere we go, we always give a Hook 'em," Hansen said.

US men to make a splash

More photos from Peter in the gallery including this one...