Never say never again is the old adage, and that apparently applies to swimmer Dara Torres, who said the 2008 Olympics were her last, but has changed her mind.
Dara Torres is 43, and a mother of a 4-year-old. However, even in 2008, she seemed "too old" until you took a look at her physique, and her times. She didn't win any gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, but she took home three silvers: 4×100 m freestyle relay, 50 m freestyle, and 4×100 m medley relay.
Torres, 43, has not raced competitively since the 2009 world championships. In fact, she only recently resumed water training following a reconstructive procedure that involved transplanting cartilage to her left kneecap. She earned a time of 25.9 seconds in the 50-meter freestyle preliminaries, enough to make the cut for the 2012 Olympic trials. The finals were to be Saturday night, and Torres was seeded fourth. She was swimming at the Missouri Grand Prix.
More difficult for Torres is the situation of her 60-year-old coach, Michael Lohberg. He is battling a rare, life-threatening blood disorder, and remains hospitalized in Florida after a recent heart attack. Currently, he remains in intensive care.
Already, at age 41, Dara Torres competed in her fifth Olympic Games. That feat was unprecedented for an American female swimmer, and if she makes it to the 2012 London Olympics, it will be six. Additionally, according to Wikipedia, she was the first woman in history to swim in the Olympics past the age of 40.
This time, she said, the 2012 London Olympic Games will definitely be her last. Reminded that she said the same thing for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, she assured AP that London will be her last attempt for a medal. The 2012 Games, should she qualify, will truly be her last hurrah, Torres said "You can quote me. There is no more (after 2012). I'm done. If you ever see me in a pool again, it will be hanging out with my daughter, or maybe swimming a little master's (division) here and there."
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