Added Note: Who will win the gold medal race? China or the United States?
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Who says Olympic swimming is only for the young ones? Not Dara Torres. Yeah, the 41 year-old four-time Olympic gold medalist is hoping to earn an Olympic slot during the U.S. qualifying trials this coming July.
If she qualifies, Dara will be the first female swimmer over 40 to compete in the Olympic Games. Go, Dara. Do it for the oldies! [Correction: Dara isn't the first female swimmer over 40 to compete in the Olympics. Canadian Brenda Holmes, then 44 years old, was older than Dara when she competed during the 1972 Munich Games. My apologies for the mistake and thanks to our anonymous commenter for the info.]
In honor of Dara Torres, we have created a blog category we’re calling the Dara Mama Club which refers to athlete moms who qualified or are trying to qualify for Beijing 2008. Check out the other Dara Mama’s here.
Update II: More photos of Dara — from Maxim and the NY Times — here. And we have some pics of Yelena Isinbayeva, another Olympian worth looking at, here.
PHOTO SOURCE: eyespyfilms.com
US swimming is so pathetic, always re-treading the eye candy for some relay medals. I’m surprised they didn’t bring out Summer Sanders to anchor. Yes, great for Dara — I mean, why let another swimmer have a shot at one when she needs more, more, more — or at least NBC/USOC is convinced the housewives of America think so.
Anonymous,
You must not find it SOOO pathetic, as you certainly were here to look at Dara Mama. There really are other things worthy of your criticism, like your jealousy perhaps?
Swimming doesn’t work like that. Only the best times make the cut, no matter the age. It’s not like figure skating.
Dara Torres uses steroids.
Dara is not the oldest swimmer to compete in the Olympics, but she is the oldest American swimmer ever on the Olympic team. The oldest female swimmer at the Games was Brenda Holmes of Canada who competed in the ’72 games at the age of 44. Further to that steroid comment, Dara has subjected herself to extra testing because of all the inuendo flying around. She’s one of about a dozen other athletes who voluntarily undergo extensive testing (she’s been tested more than a dozen times since March. As a 41 year old mother of 3 who is about to do her first triathlon, I’m here to let you know that anything is possible. I don’t have the trainers or money she has and I’ve managed to whip myself into pretty good shape without steroids. On that note, I’m sure she takes a battery of supplements and she’s got trainers coming out the wazoo. Nonetheless, she’s proving that women of my generation who take care of themselves can and will kick butt. I remember a few years ago when I was still playing soccer, dusting women half my age up the field. Hard work does pay off!! Go, Dara!!!
Hi Anonymous [7:20]
I should update the post to include the Brenda Holmes info. Go, Dara!
Thanks
wake up people… steroids steroids steroids. you don’t get to that level at that age without some serious chemical assistance. and there’s plenty of ways to avoid detection as any honest sports doctor will tell you.
Hi there Anonymous, you are the pathetic one. Put the best on the field and in the water. I guess you cannot do the things you used to so you must attempt to tear down someone else who has worked hard to get to the place they are. What a pathetic piece of crap you are. Dara will bring home the gold!
I think it’s a huge accomplishment to be able to compete at this level and look as good as she does at her age. She is an inspiration for women in their 40′s. Not that 40 somethings are going to train for the olympics, but to stay fit, healthy and look good. Any negative comments about Dara Torres is just jealousy because you haven’t accomplished anything in your negative lives worth bragging about.
Wow, well good for her! Speaking of the Olympics, Ryan Seacrest did a GREAT interview with Michael Phelps. I heard it online this morning. Check it out!
http://www.kiisfm.com/cc-common/losangeles/podcast/kiis.html
Brenda Holmes was not 44 when she competed in the 72 olympics. She was actually the youngest swimmer on the Canadian team that traveled to Munich.