| Rank | Event | Year | Location | Result |
| Olympic Games | ||||
| 5 | 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay | 2008 | Beijing, CHN | 7:05.77 |
| 5 | 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay | 2004 | Athens, GRE | 7:13.33 |
| 6 | 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay | 2008 | Beijing, CHN | 3:12.26 |
| Semifinal | 100m Freestyle | 2008 | Beijing, CHN | 48.20 |
| Semifinal | 200m Freestyle | 2004 | Athens, GRE | 1:50.00 |
| Heats | 200m Freestyle | 2008 | Beijing, CHN | 1:46.40 |
| Heats | 4 x 100m Medley Relay | 2008 | Beijing, CHN | 3:35.56 |
| Heats | 100m Freestyle | 2004 | Athens, GRE | DNS |
| Heats | 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay | 2004 | Athens, GRE | 3:18.35 |
| Heats | 4 x 100m Medley Relay | 2004 | Athens, GRE | 3:39.36 |
| World Championships | ||||
| 1 | 100m Freestyle | 2007 | Melbourne, VIC, AUS | 48.43 |
| 2 | 100m Freestyle | 2011 | Shanghai, CHN | 47.95 |
| 2 | 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay | 2005 | Montreal, QC, CAN | 3:16.44 |
| 2 | 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay | 2005 | Montreal, QC, CAN | 7:09.73 |
| 3 | 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay | 2007 | Melbourne, VIC, AUS | 7:10.70 |
| 4 | 100m Freestyle | 2009 | Rome, ITA | 47.27 |
| 7 | 4 x 100m Medley Relay | 2011 | Shanghai, CHN | 3:36.80 |
| Semifinal | 50m Freestyle | 2009 | Rome, ITA | 21.73 |
| Heats | 50m Freestyle | 2011 | Shanghai, CHN | 22.34 |
| Heats | 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay | 2011 | Shanghai, CHN | 3:17.35 |
| Heats | 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay | 2009 | Rome, ITA | 3:12.96 |
| Heats | 4 x 100m Medley Relay | 2009 | Rome, ITA | 3:31.02 |
| Pan Pacific Championships | ||||
| 2 | 100m Freestyle | 2010 | Irvine, CA, USA | 48.19 |
| 3 | 50m Freestyle | 2010 | Irvine, CA, USA | 21.89 |
| 4 | 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay | 2010 | Irvine, CA, USA | 3:16.53 |
| 4 | 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay | 2010 | Irvine, CA, USA | 7:12.66 |
| 5 | 4 x 100m Medley Relay | 2010 | Irvine, CA, USA | 3:37.01 |
Nickname
Soup. (ubyssey.bc.ca, 12 Feb 2002)
Hobbies
Photography and driving BMW cars. (brenthayden.com, 11 Jul 2011)
Occupation
Athlete, Photographer
Education
Humanities, Marketing - University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, CAN
Language(s) spoken
English
Club name
UBC Dolphins Swim Club, Vancouver, BC, CAN
Coach
Tom Johnson (CAN) from 2001 (Swimming Canada, 11 Jul 2011)
Position and style
Freestyle (Swimming Canada, 11 Jul 2011)
Debut
2002 for Canada, Commonwealth Games (Manchester) (Athlete, 30 Aug 2010)
Injuries
He injured his back prior to the 2008 Olympic trials, forcing him to scratch the 50m freestyle event from his programme but managed to qualify for the 100m and 200m freestyle events. (Swimming Canada, 11 Jul 2011)
An elbow injury following the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens forced him to withdraw from the 2004 Canadian World Short Course team. (Swimming Canada, 03 Aug 2006)
He suffered from stomach problems at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi. (brenthayden.com, 11 Jul 2011)
Additional information
Start of sporting career
He started swimming at age five. His first club was the Spartans Club in Chilliwack, British Columbia. (ubyssey.bc.ca, 30 Sep 2003; Swimming Canada, 16 Jul 2010)
Reason for taking up this sport
His parents encouraged him to join his first club. (ubyssey.bc.ca, 30 Sep 2003; Swimming Canada, 16 Jul 2010)
Most memorable sporting achievement
Winning the 100m freestyle at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi and at the 2007 World Aquatic Championships in Melbourne. (brenthayden.com, 11 Jul 2011)
Most influential person in career
He attributes a lot of his success to the late karate Sensei Tom McDonaugh, for teaching him about the battle of "Mind, Body and Soul." (brenthayden.com, 11 Jul 2011)
Superstitions / Rituals
On a competition day, he listens to classical music to stay relaxed. Just before a race starts, he listens to heavy metal music to energise himself. (Swimming Canada, 16 Jul 2010)
Awards
In 2005 and 2006, he was named Male Swimmer of the Year by the Canadian Swimming Association. (Infostrada 2005, swim.bc.ca, 24 Nov 2006)
He earned Canada's first world title in the pool since 1986, winning the 100m freestyle at the World Championships in 2007. (Swimming Canada, 16 Jul 2010)
General
BEATEN IN ATHENS
After competing at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens he was severely beaten by riot police after walking out of a bar and becoming unknowingly mixed up in a violent anti-war protest. He suffered welts to his arms, stomach and back, and said afterwards that his legs were bleeding pretty badly. "It was definitely the scariest moment of my life," he said. (The Star, 01 Aug 2008)
TATTOOS
He has a Superman tattoo on his chest, hence the nickname 'Soup'. The Chinese writing tattooed under one of his arms means 'friends forever' and he got it done with a friend who survived a terrible motorcycle crash, and he has a Japanese-inspired design of clouds with three stars [symbolising the mind, body and soul] in memory of his long-time karate sensei, Tom McDonagh, who passed away. (The Star, 01 Aug 2008; Vancouver Sun, 28 May 2010)
ASTHMA
He used to suffer coughing attacks when he was younger but thought it was an adverse reaction to chlorine. During a scouting mission to China prior to the 2008 Olympic Games, doctors diagnosed him with asthma and he secured a drug exemption from FINA to use an inhaler. "When I first got there, [doctors] told me I had the lungs of a small horse." (cbc.ca, 16 Jul 2010)
DEAD HEAT
He and defending champion Filippo Magnini of Italy tied for first place in the 100m freestyle final at the 2007 World Championships in Melbourne, Australia. Both swimmers were awarded a gold medal after recording the time of 48.43s. The win was Canada's first swimming title in the pool at a world championships since the late Victor Davis won the 100m breaststroke in 1986. (swimming.ca, 23 Apr 2007)
THE KARATE KID
He has a black belt in Isshin-ryu Karate. (Swimming Canada, 11 Jul 2011)
Previous Olympics
Beijing 2008, Athens 2004
