Dara Torres-Amazing

SCYfreestyler, Perhaps you are right. Perhaps since Dara really never "owned" an event like the great ones she swam against which were her peers in the 80's and 90's. This is her way of "owning" her piece of history in the sport.... i.e. through longevity. Note, I say great in the sense of Tracy Caulkins, Mary T. or Janet Evans. John Smith I am not sure if I agree with this. Not discounting what those 3 swimmers did but you have to remember that back in 1984, they did not have the 50 meter Free as an Olympic event. Dara held the World Record from January 1983 to August 1986, so we will never know what she was capable of doing in that event and its pure speculation weather she would have won the gold. Granted she did not make the team in the 50 in 1988 and 1992 but did in 1988 in the 100 Free. I will agree that she was not as good as say her American contempories during those time periods and beyond. But since 2000, I would say she compares on an equal basis with Jenny Thompson, Amy Van Dyken and Angel Martino. I believe with last weekends performance that she has equaled those 3 swimmers. Granted Jenny has more Olympic medals and Amy had one of the most successful Olympics with being the first American women to win 4 Gold medals in 1996 at one Olympics. And Angel winning 3 individual bronze medals in two Olympics. But Dara has 9 medals and has 3 bronze medals from individual events. That is equal to Angel and its one more in individual events than both Jenny and Amy. I not going to include relays because all of these swimmers practically swam together on relays and got the same medals. If you look at American Records Dara stacks up just as well if not better than the others. Jenny Thompson's American Record in the 100 Meter Free which was set as a World Record back in 1992 is still probably the most impressive. That :54.48 lasted 10 years as an American Record until 2002. She had the 50 Free Record for 2 years from 1992 to 1994 and then Amy had the record from 1994 until Dara got the record in 2000, which was broken last weekend and is 7 years and going strong. Angel Martino had the 50 Free record from 1986 to 1988 and had the 100 Free Record from 1991 until 1992. Dara Torres had the American Record in the 100 Meter Free Record from 1988 until 1991. Now if she can swim to 3 or 4 medals and win either one or two medals in some individual events then who is to say she is not one of the best USA swimmers ever. When you think of someone winning there first National Championship in 1982 and then doing it again twice in 2007, that is a 25 year spread and that feat is quite outstanding. Then to add to that being a member of 5 Olympic teams. That is something that will even be tough for Michael Phelps to accomplish if she makes it.

SCYfreestyler, Perhaps you are right. Perhaps since Dara really never "owned" an event like the great ones she swam against which were her peers in the 80's and 90's. This is her way of "owning" her piece of history in the sport.... i.e. through longevity. Note, I say great in the sense of Tracy Caulkins, Mary T. or Janet Evans. John Smith I am not sure if I agree with this. Not discounting what those 3 swimmers did but you have to remember that back in 1984, they did not have the 50 meter Free as an Olympic event. Dara held the World Record from January 1983 to August 1986, so we will never know what she was capable of doing in that event and its pure speculation weather she would have won the gold. Granted she did not make the team in the 50 in 1988 and 1992 but did in 1988 in the 100 Free. I will agree that she was not as good as say her American contempories during those time periods and beyond. But since 2000, I would say she compares on an equal basis with Jenny Thompson, Amy Van Dyken and Angel Martino. I believe with last weekends performance that she has equaled those 3 swimmers. Granted Jenny has more Olympic medals and Amy had one of the most successful Olympics with being the first American women to win 4 Gold medals in 1996 at one Olympics. And Angel winning 3 individual bronze medals in two Olympics. But Dara has 9 medals and has 3 bronze medals from individual events. That is equal to Angel and its one more in individual events than both Jenny and Amy. I not going to include relays because all of these swimmers practically swam together on relays and got the same medals. If you look at American Records Dara stacks up just as well if not better than the others. Jenny Thompson's American Record in the 100 Meter Free which was set as a World Record back in 1992 is still probably the most impressive. That :54.48 lasted 10 years as an American Record until 2002. She had the 50 Free Record for 2 years from 1992 to 1994 and then Amy had the record from 1994 until Dara got the record in 2000, which was broken last weekend and is 7 years and going strong. Angel Martino had the 50 Free record from 1986 to 1988 and had the 100 Free Record from 1991 until 1992. Dara Torres had the American Record in the 100 Meter Free Record from 1988 until 1991. Now if she can swim to 3 or 4 medals and win either one or two medals in some individual events then who is to say she is not one of the best USA swimmers ever. When you think of someone winning there first National Championship in 1982 and then doing it again twice in 2007, that is a 25 year spread and that feat is quite outstanding. Then to add to that being a member of 5 Olympic teams. That is something that will even be tough for Michael Phelps to accomplish if she makes it.