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Hardy breaks the 50-meter breaststroke record in 2008.

2:30pm | Long Beach-raised world record holder Jessica Hardy stood unexpectedly atop the podium this weekend after astonishing even herself by winning four gold medals at the Pan Pacific Championships in Irvine. Hardy won gold in two relay events and surprised everyone by capturing the 50-meter freestyle.

"I went into it relaxed and just seeing what could happen and ended up getting four gold medals," Hardy said on Wednesday.

It wasn't even the most difficult thing she did this week.

"It's a pain in the butt, but I think we're in the homestretch now," Hardy said of renting a U-Haul truck and moving into a new apartment in Santa Monica with her boyfriend, Swiss swimming champion Dominik Meichtry.

Hardy needed to be closer to her training facility as she prepares for the World Championships in December. After that, it's another World Championship next summer and then Hardy will prepare for a monumental goal, the 2012 Olympic Games.

"The Olympics is obviously what our entire sport is about," Hardy said, "And everyone in our sport basically trains with that in mind their whole career. Having gone through what I've gone through in 2008 makes me anticipate 2012 even more than most people."

You may remember that Hardy was just days away from flying to Beijing to compete in the 2008 games when she tested positive for Clenbuterol, a banned substance. Her dreams crushed, Hardy went through a grueling mental recovery process, all the while maintaining her innocence. This May, arbitration judges sided with her, lifted a competition ban and allowing Hardy to do what she does best again. Since then, the promise of those five linked rings has pushed her harder than ever before.

"It's on my mind at all times and I'm really excited to get the opportunity to compete again," she said.

Hardy is sure to be a favorite for the gold in her bread-and-butter breaststroke, but until then she'll be in unfamiliar territory, competing in freestyle events through next summer after qualifying in that event with this weekend's victories.

"It's really weird because I can always fall back on the breaststroke," she said, "But with freestyle I definitely have to work a lot harder and think a lot harder about technique. It's definitely more of a challenge but it's really exciting because it's keeping everything fresh and new."

For now, it's back into the water for Hardy, who sounds refreshed and more excited than ever - both at the prospect of chasing world records in a brand new event, and at the Olympic invite that she's craved since her 2008 ordeal. A dominant solo swimmer, Hardy was thrilled to compete in the relay events and don the red, white and blue, perhaps because she missed that chance the first time.

"I haven't had the opportunities to do relays in three years because I haven't traveled with the National team," she said. "It's the most exciting part of our sport, getting the chance to swim relays with the National team. Especially against the Australians, our biggest rivals."

Last weekend's Pan Pacific Championships gave Hardy a taste. A taste of competing for her country, a taste of standing on the podium to receive a gold. But Jessica Hardy isn't the kind of person who wants a taste. Now that she's clearly back on track to the opportunity she lost two years ago, don't expect anything to stop Jessica Hardy from reaching her dream this time around.

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