The Athlete of the Year award caps a stellar year that saw Hansen break three world records and win three gold medals at the 2006 Mutual of Omaha Pan Pacific Championships.
“This award means a lot to me, but I think what means even more, are the people I’m here (swimming) with.... Please just support us in 2008, because we’re going to come out with guns firing.” Hansen said. Later in his speech, Hansen joked, “You have to break three world records just to be in consideration for the award.”
Hansen started his record-breaking year by setting the American record in the 200y breaststroke at the American Short Course Swimming Championships in Austin, Texas, in March. In August at the ConocoPhillips USA Swimming National Championships, Hansen set two world records, in the 100m breaststroke on day one and the 200m breaststroke on day five. These were his fifth and sixth U.S. National swimming titles. Claiming he still had “more left in the tank,” Hansen broke a third world record in the 200m breaststroke at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, taking down his own 15-day-old record in the event. It was one of three gold medals he won at Pan Pacs, also setting Championships swim records in the 100m breaststroke and as a member of the 4x100m medley relay.
Hansen was voted the 2006 Athlete of the Year by the USA Swimming delegates in attendance at the convention. He was chosen over fellow Olympic swimming standouts Michael Phelps, Aaron Peirsol, Katie Hoff and Amanda Weir as well as world champion swimmer Kate Ziegler. This is the first time Hansen has won the award.
On Friday night, swimmer Michael Phelps was honored with the ConocoPhillips Performance of the Year Award for his world record performance in the 200m individual medley at the Pan Pacific Championships in August. In that race, Phelps took down his own three-year-old world record by a tenth of a second with a time of 1:55.84. This victory was one of five gold medals Phelps won at Pan Pacs.
The 2006 USA Swimming Award went to Audrey Berklid. The USA Swimming Award is considered the organization’s most prestigious service award. Other award winners honored this weekend include:
- Female Open Water Swimmer of the Year: Erica Rose
- Male Open Water Swimmer of the Year: Chip Peterson
- Glenn S. Hummer Award: Greg Cross
- Adolf Keifer Safety Commendation Award: Eric Fucito
- Disability Swimming Service Award: Pam Redding
- Disability Swimmer of the Year Award (Trischa L. Zorn Award): Jessica Long
- Ken Pettigrew Award: Mike Saltzstein
- ASCA Coach Award: Eddie Reese
- Developmental Coach Award: Bill Rose
- Athletes’ Appreciation Award: Eric Namesnik
About USA Swimming: As the National Governing Body for competitive swimming in the United States, USA Swimming formulates the rules, implements policies and procedures, conducts national championships, disseminates safety and sports medicine information and selects athletes to represent the United States in international competition. USA Swimming has more than 300,000 members nationwide and sanctions more than 7,000 events each year. For more information, visit www.usaswimming.org.
