Brendan Hansen’s Comeback is Promising; Lohn Lineup for 200 Fly

Column by John Lohn, Swimming World senior writer

LIVINGSTON, New Jersey, December 5. WE wrote a bit about this topic a few months back, but after the effort he produced at Winter Nationals in Atlanta, it's worth revisiting. Of all the comebacks in process, from Ian Thorpe to Ed Moses, the best of the bunch is shaping up to be that of Brendan Hansen, he of past breaststroke dominance.

A day after capturing the title in the 100 breaststroke, Hansen delivered the best time of his second career in the 200 distance. En route to topping a field that included Kosuke Kitajima and Eric Shanteau, Hansen touched the wall in 2:09.64, the sixth-fastest mark of the year. There is no doubt Hansen's performance provided another feel-good moment for American coaches, who have been in need of a top breaststroker for the United States medley relay.

Considering he dipped under 2:10 for the 200 breast, Hansen was likely capable of a 59-point showing in the 100 breast. And, indeed, Hansen indicated after his final race that he had a much easier time finding a rhythm over the longer distance and was confident that a big-time swim was forthcoming in the 100 breast. Really, it makes sense considering this career resumption is less than a year old.

In this age of comebacks, we know where to look for the top one to date: Austin, Texas. Look for this boom to continue, with Hansen reclaiming his status as an Olympic medal contender, a distinction he has known before.

**Wanted to get some discussion going on all-time finals, so during the next several months, we'll ask readers to put together historical eight-person championship finals in specific events. Fill out the field based on the greatest swimmers in history and post it in the comments section.

This Week: Men's and Women's 200 Butterfly.

The Lohn Lineup (Alphabetical order): Kevin Berry; Michael Gross; Tom Malchow; Michael Phelps; Carl Robie; Mark Spitz; Mel Stewart; Michael Troy.

While selecting the first few names for the list was an easy task, filling out the final slots was darn near impossible. Why? Well, if you take Tom Malchow, Mel Stewart and Denis Pankratrov and look at their careers, you can make an argument for any of the three to be in the all-time final. Each man won an Olympic gold medal, with Malchow adding a silver medal on the biggest stage. In this vote, Pankratrov was the odd man out, but it by no means was a pick made with strength.

The Lohn Lineup (Alphabetical order): Otylia Jedrzejczak; Ada Kok; Mary T. Meagher; Karen Moe; Susan O'Neill; Jessicah Schipper; Petria Thomas; Liu Zige.

Definitely more evened out than the men's side, with the exception of Mary T. Meagher standing alone as the greatest the event has seen. The event also is widespread when it comes to covering various eras.

**Really liked the effort of Amanda Beard in the 200 breaststroke, as her time of 2:24.46 was a solid indicator for a serious push at another Olympic berth – which would be her fifth. While Rebecca Soni is the overwhelming favorite for Olympic gold, Beard is showing that she is not out of the discussion for a medal.

**Much has been made of the impending matchup between Texas and Stanford at March's NCAA Men's Championships, but it's safe to say that Arizona has placed itself in the championship discussing. In its annual appearance at the Texas Invitational, where the Wildcats were rested, Arizona produced several impressive performances.

The breaststroke depth of the Wildcats is downright scary and freshman Kevin Cordes looked spectacular, most notably with a sub-52 clocking in the 100 breast. The NCAA Champs are always entertaining, but this year's meet – at least early on – is setting up to be a dandy.

**Going to take a minute to announce some personal news. My wife, Dana, and I welcomed a pair of baby girls to the world early Saturday morning. They arrived nine weeks early and each weighed just a shade over three pounds, which means the next six weeks or so in the hospital. But the doctors are confident they'll continue to surge and mom and dad feel incredibly blessed.

Follow John Lohn on Twitter: @JohnLohn

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