OMAHA -- One shock after another unfolded at the U.S. Olympic swimming trials, almost a changing of the guard in one session Thursday night at the Qwest Center.
Brendan Hansen, who held the world record in the 200-meter breaststroke a month ago, won't be swimming that event in Beijing. Nor will the silver medalist at the World Championships last year in the 200 butterfly (Kim Vandenberg) or the woman who finished fourth at the trials four years ago at that distance (Mary DeScenza).
And in the 100 freestyle, a relative newcomer, Garrett Weber-Gale, upset two-time Olympian Jason Lezak of Irvine, who had reclaimed his American record in this event in the semifinals. Weber-Gale won in 47.92 seconds to Lezak's 48.05.
"I've been completely shocked by the events tonight," said Amanda Beard, who had the second-fastest qualifying time for tonight's 200 breaststroke final in 2:25.43. "Everything went crazy."
Crazy time started with Hansen finishing fourth in the 200 breaststroke. Hansen hasn't seemed the same since rival Kosuke Kitajima shattered his world record last month. Scott Spann and Eric Shanteau, two training partners of Hansen's at Longhorn (Texas) Aquatics, finished first and second, respectively.
"I came to the pool tonight and didn't have a very good feeling about warmup and just everything in general," said Hansen, who was almost three seconds off his American record, going 2:11.37 and fading badly in the final 50. "These guys just brought it tonight."
He may have been focusing too much on Kitajima. Now Hansen will have to watch from the sideline in the 200.
"It's going to be hard," Hansen said. "I'm going to show these guys what to do to beat him. If I can't do it, I want to make sure they do. And you know what I mean by him."
Lezak, for his part, admitted he has been nervous.
"I really haven't slept in two weeks. I've been so anxious about this meet," he said. "In Beijing, it's going to take a lot faster than that to get a medal, that's for sure. I've just got to be prepared three times to swim faster than that."
The string of unusual results continued in the 200 butterfly with Elaine Breeden (2:06.75) and Kathleen Hersey (2:07.33) grabbing the top two spots. Vandenberg was third in 2:08.48, and DeScenza was fourth in 2:09.48.
Said DeScenza, of her disappointment: "Well, I've done it before. Once you've kind of gone through something like this, it's a little easier the second time around."
