U.S. Swim Team Captain Brendan Hansen Wins Bronze

When U.S. Olympian and swimmer Brendan Hansen, 30, sat down with Uinterview to talk about training for the 2012 London Olympics — his third Olympics — he was mainly happy to have recovered the gold medal he almost lost after the Beijing games. But now Hansen has a brand new, shiny bronze medal to add to his collection of two golds — this one for the 100m breaststroke.

Hansen finished third in the swimming event with a time of 59.49 seconds, right behind Australia’s Christian Sprenger who finished with 58.93 seconds and gold medalists Cameron Der Burgh of South Africa, who, at 58.46 seconds, was just over a full second faster than Hansen. So who didn’t even make the top three? Hansen’s longtime archrival, Kosuke Kitajima from Japan, who came in fifth.

“That’s the shiniest bronze medal I’ll ever have,” the upbeat Hansen said on Sunday after his victory from Lane 8, reports philly.com, celebrating their native Pennsylvanian’s success. Hansen had retired after the 2008 Beijing games, but decided to return this time around for one last go as the comeback kid. “It’s probably the hardest medal I’ve ever had to work for,” Hansen said. “When I decided to come back and swim, I didn’t know what to expect and never really talked about getting on the medal stand or anything like that.”

Hansen can soon look forward to splurging on his post-Olympic indulgence. “I don’t have a sweet tooth or anything like that,” Hansen told Uinterview. “So I’ll probably just — yeah, I’ll probably crack open a beer.”

For more on Brendan Hansen and the 2012 London Olympics:

EXCLUSIVE: Veteran U.S. Olympic Triathlete Hunter Kemper On Being ‘Persistent’

EXCLUSIVE: U.S. Olympics Swimmer Brendan Hansen

EXCLUSIVE: U.S. Olympics Swimmer Brendan Hansen Lost His Olympic Gold Medal

Brendan Hansen To Make Waves At Third Olympics

EXCLUSIVE: U.S. Olympic Diver Cassidy Krug Describes The Perfect Dive

EXCLUSIVE: U.S. Olympic Volleyball Player Lindsey Berg Is ‘Honored’ To Be Named Captain

EXCLUSIVE: U.S. Olympian Nick McCrory Talks Diving With David Boudia

EXCLUSIVE: U.S. Olympic Diver Kristian Ipsen Is ‘Not Wearing Much’

EXCLUSIVE: U.S. Olympian Phil Dalhausser’s ‘Late Start’ At Beach Volleyball

EXCLUSIVE: Olympian Jessica Hardy Swims 2.5 Hours Every Morning

EXCLUSIVE: U.S. Olympic Gymnast Jonathan Horton On The London Games

EXCLUSIVE: U.S. Olympic Gymnast Jordyn Wieber On Trainin For London Games

EXCLUSIVE: U.S. Olympic Sprinter Wallace Spearmon On Losing His Medal In Beijing — And Winning Gold In London