Throwback Thursday: Man On a Mission – When Brendan Hansen Blasted the World Record in 100 Breaststroke

Throwback Thursday: Man On a Mission – When Brendan Hansen Blasted the World Record in 100 Breaststroke

In this installment of “World Record Flashback,” we take the time machine to the 2004 United States Olympic Trials. The competition proved to be a redemptive moment for American Brendan Hansen, who dominated the breaststroke events en route to a berth to the Olympic Games in Athens.

The 2004 edition of the United States Olympic Trials wasn’t short on captivating storylines. There was Michael Phelps’ push toward an eight-medal haul later that summer in the birth city of the Olympic Games. There was the emergence of Katie Hoff. There was greatness from the duo of Amanda Beard and Aaron Peirsol.

And if the performances were not enough to dazzle, the 2004 Trials marked a shift in approach for USA Swimming’s showcase event. Rather than hold Trials in a natatorium with a seating capacity of a few thousand, the governing body took the competition to a parking lot in Long Beach, Calif., with temporary stands erected to accommodate 10,000 fans. It was a move that enhanced the magnitude of Trials, paving the way for the next four Trials to be held in an arena setting in Omaha, and for this summer’s event to unfold at Lucas Oil Stadium—home to the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts—in front of crowds that may top 30,000 spectators.

Also owning a starring role nearly two decades ago in Southern California was Brendan Hansen, a product of the University of Texas who, by the time of the 2004 Trials, had already packaged an impressive international résumé. What was missing, though, was a world record, and the closer Hansen got to stepping on the blocks in Long Beach, it only seemed a matter of time before he would check that box, too.

MOTIVATION FROM THE PAST

swimming-world-magazine-october-2006-cover

Photo Courtesy: Swimming World Magazine

To understand the expectations and desire of Brendan Hansen upon his arrival at the 2004 Olympic Trials, one must first grasp what transpired at the 2000 Trials in Indianapolis. Having just graduated from Haverford High School in suburban Philadelphia a couple of months earlier, Hansen was one of several contenders in the 100 breaststroke and 200 breaststroke for a trip to the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.

Ultimately, Hansen finished third in both events, one spot shy of becoming a teenage Olympian. The 200 breaststroke was particularly agonizing, as Hansen was surging down the stretch and touched the wall just 15-hundredths out of Olympic-qualifying position. Although stung by his near miss, Hansen demonstrated maturity.

“There were a few days when I didn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. It was hard,” Hansen said. “But I’m going to use it as a positive. You can’t regret what happened in the past, but you can use it as motivation for myself, and my teammates. I’m going to be a man on a mission.”

Hansen was undoubtedly fueled by his Indianapolis results. Within a year, he was the world champion in the 200 breaststroke and garnered status as the United States’ premier breaststroker. He medaled in both the 100 and 200 breaststroke events at the 2003 World Championships, and he was 8-for-8 in the breaststroke events at the NCAA Championships.

Come the 2004 Trials, Hansen was ready.

SIMPLY DOMINANT

Along with the likes of Michael Phelps and Texas teammates Aaron Peirsol and Ian Crocker, Hansen was a staple for Team USA when he arrived in Long Beach. But there was one thing the other guys owned that eluded Hansen to that point in his career: a world record.

That scenario changed on July 8, 2004.

After easing through the preliminaries and semifinals of the 100 breaststroke, there was little question whether Hansen would qualify for the Athens Games. Rather, the question was whether he could challenge the world record of 59.78, held by Japan’s Kosuke Kitajima. The American emphatically delivered a response.

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

Popping a time of 59.30, Hansen shaved nearly a half-second off the previous record and registered a 1.57-second triumph over runner-up Mark Gangloff. The race was perfectly executed, as Hansen went out in 27.93 and came home in 31.37. After looking at the scoreboard, Hansen celebrated his redemption, his family in the stands to cherish the moment.

“The best way to think of 2000 is having your dog get run over,” Hansen said. “It hurts. After that, Charlie Kennedy, my coach at the time (at Suburban Swim Center), told me to decide what I wanted to do. I could let it affect me, or I could use it as a positive.

“The start was the key to the first 50. It was the momentum part of the race. When I hit the wall and turned, I said ‘See Ya.’ I’ve done that last 50 over and over. It was the same old thing for me. Tonight was the chance to get all the little things right. I felt good, but I was nervous. I had flashbacks all day about what happened four years ago. But this was my time and my place.”

Three days later, Hansen broke his second world record of Trials, thanks to a swim of 2:09.04 in the 200 breaststroke. That effort also took down a Kitajima standard, with the Japanese star holding the former mark at 2:09.42.

THE ATHENS GAMES

As the world record holder entering the 2004 Olympic Games, Hansen was the favorite for gold in Greece. Yet, it was Kitajima who emerged victorious in both breaststroke events, with Hansen claiming the silver medal in the 100 breast and the bronze medal in the 200 breast. A gold was earned when the United States won the 400 medley relay.

The outcome of the 100 breaststroke was especially difficult to accept. In addition to being off his best time, video footage revealed Kitajima using a dolphin kick (then illegal) off the start and turn. Given the fact that Kitajima edged Hansen, 1:00.08 to 1:00.25, those maneuvers easily could have changed the outcome.

While Hansen was gracious in defeat, Peirsol and Jason Lezak, Team USA leaders, called out Kitajima’s tactics. Peirsol didn’t mince words with his comments: “He knew what he was doing,” Peirsol said of Kitajima. “It was cheating.

“Something needs to be done about that. It’s just ridiculous. You take a huge dolphin kick, and that gives you extra momentum, but he knows that you can’t see that from underwater. He’s got a history of that. Pay attention to it.”

A HALL OF FAME CAREER

Before retiring, Hansen made two more trips to the Olympic Games, racing in Beijing (2008) and London (2012). He walked away from the sport with six Olympic medals and nine medals from the World Championships, including head-to-head wins over Kitajima in Montreal (2005) and Melbourne (2007). Kitajima, meanwhile, won double gold again at the Beijing Olympics.

In addition to his two world records in Long Beach, Hansen set three more individual global standards during his career—one in the 100 breaststroke and two in the 200 breaststroke. He was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2021.

Still involved in the sport with USA Swimming, Hansen’s first world record will always resonate. After all, he was seeking atonement.

“I was racing Brendan Hansen from 2000,” he said. “I had a mission to finish.”

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