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Quotes from Brendan

[On his 4x100 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.”

"I know going to Athens (that) there's a big bull's-eye on my chest"

[On receiving an Olympic medal] “It’s like the heaviest thing you ever put around your neck. Then you’re singing the national anthem, then the place goes crazy ... and you realize you’ve finally reached that moment."

"I didn’t know to what extent people back here fully supported me and the U.S. team until I got home. The media did a great job covering the Olympics."

"I grew up with a dream to reach the Olympic team and win a gold medal.”

"If I had to give one piece of advice it would be to never limit yourself. Never let someone tell you that you can’t do something.”

[On breaking Mike Barrowman's record in 200 Breast] "It's amazing. I'm still in shock. He was an idol of mine growing up. To break his record has been a goal of mine. My teammates said I've been a man on a mission. I think the mission is complete. I paced this morning's race just to get into the finals. I knew I was comfortable with how fast I was swimming. I couldn't believe how fast he (Denniston) was swimming. After conference we became a team. This is the most united team I've ever been on my life."

"There is nothing better than standing up on the blocks with USA on your suit and your cap."

"There are a lot of things that drive me."

"I've raised the bar and now it's time to look higher and see what I can do. It's time to put a stamp that I'm not going anywhere."

"For me, the big thing is to go out and set a world record on an international stage."

"Now, when the plane lands in Austin, I feel like I'm at home, and that's a good feeling."

[On how Austin suits him] "You can drive 10 minutes and be in the city or 15 minutes the other way and be in the middle of nowhere. You can go camping on the lake and be in solitude or you can go downtown and be shoulder to shoulder with people watching a concert."

"If I moved [away from Austin], I'd like to have a house here so I could always come back. Austin is a tough place to leave."

"I love the competitive spirit that brews between the U.S. and Australia whenever we compete against each other."

"I enjoy talking to kids and seeing their eyes light up when you hang an Olympic medal around their neck."

"I can tell those kids that I was in their place once and there’s nothing stopping them from accomplishing their dreams."

"I have a chip on my shoulder from the [2004] Olympics"

"It’s not my style to sit back. I’m always at the drawing board. I want to win at World Championships, and not have it be close."

"I think I can lower my times. I’ve always said there’s no such thing as the perfect race. My fire is still burning."

"I’d say it was a breakout year. You wait for something like this."

"I feel like I put myself in a special category. The whole Olympic experience was amazing. It’s still hard to swallow. The entire year was a way of becoming one of the greatest breaststrokers ever."

[On his 100 Breast Semi at 2005 World Champs] "I’m just trying to get used to the pool now versus this morning. It is a lot different, especially being outside. I felt smooth, nice and confident, relaxed. I just went through the motions. The more time I swim under the one minute point, the better I am going to be. I still held off a little bit for tomorrow night. It is going to be a dog race but I've got a lot left in me, a lot in the back of my mind about that race. I am hitting my champer right on, I am swimming well so if I keep riding this wave I should be able to go faster tomorrow night.”

Quotes about Brendan

"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." - Evan Morgenstein (Brendan's agent @ PMG Sports)

"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." - 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." - Phillip Whitten, the Editor-in-Chief of Swimming World Magazine

"There’s so much pressure, but Brendan feeds off it. Brendan’s amazing." - Megan Hansen (Brendan's sister)

"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." - Texas Longhorns coach Eddie Reese

"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." - Texas Longhorns coach Eddie Reese

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Quotes from Brendan

Quotes about Brendan