FanHouse Brendan Hansen

While authorities still check to see if Tatum Bell has taken a job with the TSA, one Olympian sits waiting for his gold medal to be returned after it was snagged from his backpack.

Brendan Hansen, member of the the 4x100 medley relay with Michael Phelps, had his gold medal in his backpack in Philadelphia but after arriving in Austin, Texas, couldn't locate it.

Hansen told authorities that he knows the medal at Philadelphia International Airport, when a TSA official checked his backpack.

It's not clear whether the medal went missing in Philadelphia, Nashville or Austin. Police said they are trying to determine whether Hansen took the medal out on the plane or whether it might have been stolen.

See, this is exactly why I insist that athletes always wear the medal around their necks, like Phil Mickelson did with his first green jacket in 2004. No matter the situation, a gold medal goes with anything, even this.

Update: Looks like they found the medal. Convenient.

We're covering the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials all week.

Brendan Hansen was surprised to lose the 100 meter and 200 meter breaststroke in Athens in 2004, as he was edged for the gold medal by Japan's Kosuke Kitajima. But that was nothing compared to the shock of Thursday night.

Kitajima and Hansen have had a great rivalry that was supposed to be one of the big stories at Beijing. Hansen has been motivated to pay Kitajima back for his pair of wins in 2004, but after a stunning finish, he won't get a chance to get revenge in the 200 meter breaststroke.

Hansen has dominated the 200 meter breaststroke for years, and held the world record until a month ago. But on Thursday, Hansen ran out of gas in the final 50 meters, dropping from first at the final wall to fourth. Scott Spann was the beneficiary, as he hauled down everyone with a blazing final 50 meters to finish first. Eric Shanteau finished second for the other berth.

We're previewing all the races that will take place at the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials.

Men's 200 Meter Breaststroke

What to watch for: Again, watch for the swimmer who has the look of a master jeweler as he pulls out to breathe. Keep an eye on the length of the athlete's stroke. A good breaststroke reaches out and adjusts during the race, instead of hitting a wall short or long.

What it takes: Look out again for Brendan Hansen, the current American king of breaststroke. Hansen has been the undisputed American breaststroker since the 2004 Games and in order to get a ticket to Beijing Eric Shanteau, Scott Spann, and Scott Usher are going to have to slug it out for the other spot. There likely won't be more than half a second separating Shanteau, Spann, and Usher. We'll just have to see who is the odd one out.

Unlikely underdogs: Usher, though seeded fourth, is a real contender for an Olympic spot here. He finished seventh in this event at the 2004 Olympics.

My prediction: Hansen will take one of the two spots and Usher will take the other.