patriotsblade
08-17-2008, 01:26 AM
http://www.nbcolympics.com/swimming/news/newsid=224629.html
BEIJING -- Dara Torres' attempt to win swimming gold at age 41 came up just short Sunday.
Swimming the first event of the final day of swimming at the Water Cube, Torres finished .01 of a second from gold in the 50m swim, touching just behind Britta Steffen of Germany, who also won the 100m freestyle.
Torres swam 24.07 to Steffen's 24.06. The talented field also included world-record holder Libby Trickett and 16-year-old Cate Campbell of Australia, who touched third in 24.17.
"It's hard to fathom when someone beats you by one one-hundredth," Torres told NBC. "There's nothing I would have changed."
Torres, who made her Olympic debut 24 years ago at the 1984 Los Angeles Games, barely had time to store her silver medal before swimming the anchor leg in the 4x100m medley relay. She entered the water behind world-record holder Trickett and couldn't quite track her down despite swimming a faster split.
The two silvers are her 11th and 12th career Olympic medals and her time in the 50m lowers her own American record, previously 24.25 set at the U.S. Trials.
Torres already was the oldest swimming gold medalist for two relay wins at the 2000 Sydney Olympics at age 33. She's also the only swimmer to win a medal in five Olympics, but she leaves Beijing without an individual gold medal.
Natalie Coughlin (back), Rebecca Soni (breast) and Christine Magnuson (fly) helped the U.S. to an American record 3:53.30. The winning Australian team -- Emily Seebohm, Leisel Jones, Jessicah Schipper and Trickett -- broke the world record with a time of 3:52.69.
Coughlin earned her sixth medal of the Games, the most ever for a U.S. female swimmer at a single Olympics, giving her 11 in her career.
Torres didn't compete in Athens four years ago but started training for yet another comeback in August 2006, a few months after giving birth to her daughter, Tessa.
"I'll tell her you don't have to put an age limit on your dreams," Torres said of what Tessa can take out of her mother's performance.
Grant Hackett swam for another historic achievement, trying to win the grueling 1500m free in three consecutive Olympics, but he too settled for second.
Ous Mellouli of Tunisia won gold, his country's first swimming medal ever.
The marathon race featured a sprint to the finish. Mellouli touched in 14:40.84, with Hackett just behind in 14:41.53. The winning time was nearly six seconds off Hackett's world record.
"It's like 90 yards of a touchdown. It was so close, but I didn't have much of a response," said Hackett, who has rock-star status in his native Australia. "It's disappointing I didn't win. I have no regrets, it certainly was a close race."
Ryan Cochrane of Canada was third, earning Canada's first Olympic swimming medal since 2000.
Mellouli, who trains at the University of Southern California, is coming off an 18-month suspension for testing positive for a banned substance in 2006. Mellouli admitted he took adderall to study for a test, and appealed the two-year ban that would have prevented him from competing in the 2008 Olympics.
BEIJING -- Dara Torres' attempt to win swimming gold at age 41 came up just short Sunday.
Swimming the first event of the final day of swimming at the Water Cube, Torres finished .01 of a second from gold in the 50m swim, touching just behind Britta Steffen of Germany, who also won the 100m freestyle.
Torres swam 24.07 to Steffen's 24.06. The talented field also included world-record holder Libby Trickett and 16-year-old Cate Campbell of Australia, who touched third in 24.17.
"It's hard to fathom when someone beats you by one one-hundredth," Torres told NBC. "There's nothing I would have changed."
Torres, who made her Olympic debut 24 years ago at the 1984 Los Angeles Games, barely had time to store her silver medal before swimming the anchor leg in the 4x100m medley relay. She entered the water behind world-record holder Trickett and couldn't quite track her down despite swimming a faster split.
The two silvers are her 11th and 12th career Olympic medals and her time in the 50m lowers her own American record, previously 24.25 set at the U.S. Trials.
Torres already was the oldest swimming gold medalist for two relay wins at the 2000 Sydney Olympics at age 33. She's also the only swimmer to win a medal in five Olympics, but she leaves Beijing without an individual gold medal.
Natalie Coughlin (back), Rebecca Soni (breast) and Christine Magnuson (fly) helped the U.S. to an American record 3:53.30. The winning Australian team -- Emily Seebohm, Leisel Jones, Jessicah Schipper and Trickett -- broke the world record with a time of 3:52.69.
Coughlin earned her sixth medal of the Games, the most ever for a U.S. female swimmer at a single Olympics, giving her 11 in her career.
Torres didn't compete in Athens four years ago but started training for yet another comeback in August 2006, a few months after giving birth to her daughter, Tessa.
"I'll tell her you don't have to put an age limit on your dreams," Torres said of what Tessa can take out of her mother's performance.
Grant Hackett swam for another historic achievement, trying to win the grueling 1500m free in three consecutive Olympics, but he too settled for second.
Ous Mellouli of Tunisia won gold, his country's first swimming medal ever.
The marathon race featured a sprint to the finish. Mellouli touched in 14:40.84, with Hackett just behind in 14:41.53. The winning time was nearly six seconds off Hackett's world record.
"It's like 90 yards of a touchdown. It was so close, but I didn't have much of a response," said Hackett, who has rock-star status in his native Australia. "It's disappointing I didn't win. I have no regrets, it certainly was a close race."
Ryan Cochrane of Canada was third, earning Canada's first Olympic swimming medal since 2000.
Mellouli, who trains at the University of Southern California, is coming off an 18-month suspension for testing positive for a banned substance in 2006. Mellouli admitted he took adderall to study for a test, and appealed the two-year ban that would have prevented him from competing in the 2008 Olympics.