16 Facts About Brendan Hansen

Brendan Joseph Hansen was born on August 15,1981 and is an American former competition swimmer who specialized in breaststroke events.

Brendan Hansen won twenty-five medals in major international competitions, eighteen gold, four silver, and three bronze spanning the Olympics, the World, and the Pan Pacific Championships.

Brendan Hansen was born and grew up in Havertown, a suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Whilst at Karakung Swin Club in Havertown, Brendan Hansen competed and learned from Christopher Lesovitz and Timothy Galvin.

Brendan Hansen was a sixteen-time All-American and won fourteen NCAA national championships.

Brendan Hansen graduated from the University of Texas with a bachelor's degree in kinesiology in 2005.

Brendan Hansen is well known for his unique style of breaststroke, which incorporates a kick that is much narrower than most other swimmers, including the biggest rival of his early international career, Kosuke Kitajima.

At the 2001 World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, Brendan Hansen won the 200-meter breaststroke with a time of 2:10.69, a championship record.

Grant Hackett said during London 2012 Australian television commentary that Brendan Hansen used a recording of Kitajima's roar of triumph after winning this race as his alarm clock for the next four years.

At the 2006 ConocoPhillips National Championships, Brendan Hansen lowered both his world records in the 100-meter and 200-meter breaststroke to 59.13 seconds in the 100-meter and 2:08.74 in the 200-meter.

At the 2006 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships held in Victoria, Canada, Brendan Hansen again lowered his world record time in the 200-meter breaststroke to 2:08.50.

At the 2007 World Aquatics Championships in Melbourne, Australia, Brendan Hansen won gold in the 100-meter breaststroke and silver in the 50-meter breaststroke.

Brendan Hansen was entered in the 200-meter breaststroke but did not start.

Brendan Hansen lost the medal while on a flight home from a party in his hometown near Philadelphia to Austin; it was returned to him the following day.

Brendan Hansen prepared for a comeback at the 2012 Summer Olympics, winning the 100-meter breaststroke and 200-meter breaststroke at the US Nationals with times of 1:00.08 and 2:10.59 respectively.

Brendan Hansen competed in the 200-meter breaststroke and finished fourth.