PHILADELPHIA — Olympic swimmer Brendan Hansen does better in pools than planes.

He lost his gold medal from the Beijing Games during a flight from Philadelphia to Texas, but got it back a day later.

The American breaststroke specialist was returning to Austin on Sunday night after a visiting his suburban Philadelphia hometown for a bachelor party, said his mother, Miriam Hansen. He was carrying the medal he won for the 400-meter medley relay, the race that gave Michael Phelps his record eighth gold.

The medal disappeared from a side pocket of Hansen's backpack, which he kept between his legs during the flight. He realized the medal was gone when he was getting off in Texas, his mother told The Associated Press today.

"I don't have my medal," the 27-year-old swimmer told his mother by phone. "It's not in my bag."

Hansen informed Southwest Airlines, Philadelphia police and USA Swimming. A woman who found the medal on the floor in the back of the plane saw that it was from the relay event and contacted police, Miriam Hansen said.

The woman said she wanted to get it straight to its owner. Police advised her to contact the University of Texas, Hansen's alma mater, on the belief that any swimming medalist in the area probably was affiliated with the school.

She got in touch with Hansen on Monday afternoon. Hansen met the woman, a college student, and gave her a "huge check," Miriam Hansen said. He told his mother he doesn't care how the medal was lost.

"All he thought was, 'I have my medal back, what difference does it make?"' she said.