Smoking fast!!!

Exactly. Read the comments when you have the time because they will piss you off. Read 'em. Some comments are so outrageous, those individuals carry 0% credibility with me. GO DARA!!! Great site though. Thanks for sending the link.

I bet there will be some people who feels she's "stealing" a spot from a younger athlete who hasn't been to the Olympics before. Just to say "I told ya so," here's a quote from someone using the ID "50M Warrior" on Timed Finals about Dara: If Dara does squeak onto yet another OLY team, which is what this post originally brought up, she deprives one or more Olympic hopefuls of fulfilling their lifetime dream, one they have struggled mightily to achieve. Sure, it’s “fair” that she makes it onto the team, but is it right? Is it…decent? Here's the full story with all the comments: www.timedfinals.com/.../

Maybe her technique is better now. Maybe these speed suits really are faster. Maybe her training now is better for her in the 50. Maybe the fact she was way ahead of everyone at the turn helped. Yes, it's phenomenal she set a personal best at age 40, but I don't think it's "unnatural." The bottom line is she'll have to pass drug tests if she wants to make a run at the Olympics next year. I'd be surprised if we see a drop off in her speed between now and Olympic Trials. That, of course, doesn't prove she isn't doping, but it's as much proof as we have for every other athlete.

So why aren't more 40 somethings having the same success? Improved technique, better suits, and better training are not things that are hard to come by for determined swimmers. I am not saying she is juicing, but I will say that it seems odd. I bet there are some 40 year olds setting personal bests, the difference is none of them are multi-time Olympians! I admit it's an amazing accomplishment, but Dara has shown the ability to swim fast at every stage of her career since she first came onto the scene as a teenager.

call me crazyOkay, Jane you’re crazy.:dunno: I have not analyzed Dara’s training regime from 20 years ago and today, so I can’t really comment about any changes she has made to account for the improvement. However, if you look at 50 times for elite swimmers in general, you may notice that there has been a marked drop in records and overall performance. This is frequently attributed to greater focus on weight training and technique. Are Dara and her coaches taking advantages of the advances in training? I’d hope so, or she should fire her coach. Is it OK to inject or ingest a performance enhancing substance just because it isn't banned YET? Do you have any performance enhancing substance in mind? As a matter of full disclosure, I readily admit that I ingest performance enhancing substances that have not yet been banned. I often drink water and eat food. Both of these are proven performance enhancers. Pro-Dara??? I prefer to believe I have a presumption of innocence. Just because a swimmer is fast, doesn’t mean he or she cheats. Maybe they are just working hard. However if you or anyone has evidence of cheating, then it should be brought forward. Cheating should not be tolerated and neither should making spurious accusations.

Masters swimming doesn't drug test and that is a fact. If she swims in USS meets she is subject to random drug testing. She can do anything she wants right now since she is off the radar. Does this ability of hers to swim a personal best in Feb 07 and then knock almost a half second off her time seem unnatural to anyone but me? How is she defying that natural aging process that the rest of us can't seen to win. Urine tests detect so little these days - How about lie detector tests for athletes? Do you HGH????

You guys all seem Pro Dara - call me crazy, but doesn't this seems just a little unnatural to anyone? And here is a question to think about. Is it OK to inject or ingest a performance enhancing substance just because it isn't banned YET? My guess is that all her money buys access to the latest and greatest in performance enhancement or the ones already out there. After chasing infertility for years you would thing she would enjoy time with her baby rather than seeking the media attention this is going to generate. I think the media blitz surrounding her biggest rival, Jenny Thompson's return to the Athens Olympics was too much for her to handle! I think her desire for this level of attention is pathetic. What do you think...

Maybe her technique is better now. Maybe these speed suits really are faster. Maybe her training now is better for her in the 50. naaahhhhhhhhhhhh!

Maybe her technique is better now. Maybe these speed suits really are faster. Maybe her training now is better for her in the 50. Maybe the fact she was way ahead of everyone at the turn helped. . So why aren't more 40 somethings having the same success? Improved technique, better suits, and better training are not things that are hard to come by for determined swimmers. I am not saying she is juicing, but I will say that it seems odd.

You guys all seem Pro Dara - call me crazy, but doesn't this seems just a little unnatural to anyone? And here is a question to think about. Is it OK to inject or ingest a performance enhancing substance just because it isn't banned YET? My guess is that all her money buys access to the latest and greatest in performance enhancement or the ones already out there. After chasing infertility for years you would thing she would enjoy time with her baby rather than seeking the media attention this is going to generate. I think the media blitz surrounding her biggest rival, Jenny Thompson's return to the Athens Olympics was too much for her to handle! I think her desire for this level of attention is pathetic. What do you think... Her times are incredible and the question of performance enhancing substances is a natural one to ask. Based on pictures though she certainly doesn't look like the East German girls of decades ago. She hasn't developed a massive head like Barry Bonds. She will get tested in world class competition and we'll see how that plays out. If somehow we learn she is cheating I hope she is disgraced forever. As for her desire for attention....that is a silly comment. She didn't issue a press release or go on Bill Costas' show. I think she is simply a competitor. She likes racing and winning. She's highly motivated - as most elite athletes are. So what? Even as a new mother, it probably isn't too big a deal to carve out two hours a day to train. As it is - her recent swimming is exciting and I look forward to her attempt to get to the Olympics (hopefully cleanly).