Dara just one the national title in the 100M Freestyle in 54.4 at the ripe old age of 40. Simply Incredible. :applaud: :woot:
If that's not inspiring I don't know what is.
It's easy and tempting to be cynical here. So many athletic breakthroughs lately are chemically enhanced. However, in every era there are athletes whose performance changes the fundamentals of a sport:
- Bruce Sutter in baseball (so-so righty invents split finger fastball and makes Hall of Fame)
- *** Fosbury (first to high-jump with back to the bar. Now everyone does.)
Could Dara be one of these?
If so, it would have to be her training. This is emphasized in all of the articles I've seen. She swims less, does more weightlifiing. She spends a disproportionate amount of time stretching and working on balance - two skills that deteriorate with age.
It sort of makes sense - by 40, an elite swimmer will have pretty much maximized what they can do with technique. Things like balance and flexibility will be keys to improvement.
I don't want to sound like a Pollyanna, but it is a possibility.
If so, it can be repeated, just like Sutter and Fosbury. There will be a lot of imitators. In 10 years, you would see a lot of Daras. Not saying it will happen, but if it does, it would be evidence she's legit. If it doesn't . . .
It's easy and tempting to be cynical here. So many athletic breakthroughs lately are chemically enhanced. However, in every era there are athletes whose performance changes the fundamentals of a sport:
- Bruce Sutter in baseball (so-so righty invents split finger fastball and makes Hall of Fame)
- *** Fosbury (first to high-jump with back to the bar. Now everyone does.)
Could Dara be one of these?
If so, it would have to be her training. This is emphasized in all of the articles I've seen. She swims less, does more weightlifiing. She spends a disproportionate amount of time stretching and working on balance - two skills that deteriorate with age.
It sort of makes sense - by 40, an elite swimmer will have pretty much maximized what they can do with technique. Things like balance and flexibility will be keys to improvement.
I don't want to sound like a Pollyanna, but it is a possibility.
If so, it can be repeated, just like Sutter and Fosbury. There will be a lot of imitators. In 10 years, you would see a lot of Daras. Not saying it will happen, but if it does, it would be evidence she's legit. If it doesn't . . .
