Dara Torres-Amazing

Yikes. Where do I start? This romantic notion of the 50's is not as true as some like to believe. I don't believe there's a woman on this board that would like to live like women did in the 50's if that meant (and it surely would) that we wouldn't have the time or support from society or our families to be athletic. There would be no college scholarships for women for any sports. In fact, many women wouldn't go to college. And, if they did, they would mostly be majoring in education and secretarial work. Men would, for the most part, assume they are smarter. And society would agree. Many women would be forced to marry for economic reasons. They would be forced to stay in marriages that are less than satisfying for those same economic reasons. And these are just a couple of things I can come up with off the top of my head. I think we have definitely moved forward in society. Women are FAR better off today than they were in the 50's (fake boobs, anorexia and all). So are you saying there were no athletic women in the fifties? Is there any shame in being a teacher or a secretary? Gee, with the attitude that being an education major is a "lesser than" profession, wonder why our schools have gone to pot. Even in the 1950s we all knew that the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.

Yes, would be ideal!! Don't you folks wish we could all go back and live in the 1950s when women were put up on pedestals vis a vis songs like "Earth Angel" and "The Way You Look Tonight;" when models were normal-sized and former competitive swimmers like Esther Williams were in Hollywood films; when it was enough for a family to have a 2000 square foot house; and when women who were just wives and mothers were held in-high esteem? We've come a long way. Now we are called _hores in songs, models are unheathly thin with fake boobs, cars cost more than a house did in the 50s, and women who are just wives and mothers are viewed as women who have "morphed" into having no life of their own and put pounds on as the years go by. Wow! Are we going backwards or forwards? Yikes. Where do I start? This romantic notion of the 50's is not as true as some like to believe. I don't believe there's a woman on this board that would like to live like women did in the 50's if that meant (and it surely would) that we wouldn't have the time or support from society or our families to be athletic. There would be no college scholarships for women for any sports. In fact, many women wouldn't go to college. And, if they did, they would mostly be majoring in education and secretarial work. Men would, for the most part, assume they are smarter. And society would agree. Many women would be forced to marry for economic reasons. They would be forced to stay in marriages that are less than satisfying for those same economic reasons. And these are just a couple of things I can come up with off the top of my head. I think we have definitely moved forward in society. Women are FAR better off today than they were in the 50's (fake boobs, anorexia and all).

Maybe a woman who feels proud that her son is just as capable a parent as his wife? Yes, would be ideal!! Don't you folks wish we could all go back and live in the 1950s when women were put up on pedestals vis a vis songs like "Earth Angel" and "The Way You Look Tonight;" when models were normal-sized and former competitive swimmers like Esther Williams were in Hollywood films; when it was enough for a family to have a 2000 square foot house; and when women who were just wives and mothers were held in-high esteem? We've come a long way. Now we are called _hores in songs, models are unheathly thin with fake boobs, cars cost more than a house did in the 50s, and women who are just wives and mothers are viewed as women who have "morphed" into having no life of their own and put pounds on as the years go by. Wow! Are we going backwards or forwards?

If the woman in question is fit and not underweight then why not? The usual response to the pictures of Dara here is "Oh, she looks great!" As if any given woman could look like that and still be physically and mentally healthy if she just tried hard enough. No freaking way.

Regarding the different look of Dara's older pictures with the more recent ones, partly it could be the normal thinning of skin that everyone starts to get in middle age that makes her seem more defined now. I saw arecent photo of an actress who was a really big star in the 70s, still about the same weight as she was 30 years ago, but now sort of shriveled and dessicated looking due to that loss of skin thickness and thinning of the subcutaneous fat.

Or maybe she is a juiced anomaly.

dorthyrde, Due note that weight training was an integral part of collegiate swimming in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Dara swam in college in the late 1980s. The weight and training program at Florida under Randy was more than just recently established by then. John Smith

Even if people drank a gallon of PED's every day, I DOUBT anyone could repeat Dara's accomplishments. Why? Because Dara has a gift, she is the greatest female sprint swimmer of all time. See, now I am confused. I thought the argument was being made that her accomplishments were the product of innovative training, stretching, massage, dryland, and nutrition. Her breaks from the sport had actually helped her. Pregnancy had improved her athletic performance. Her ability to train full time without worrying about work or family was a huge advantage. As I have said before, I believe that she is an anomaly. Or she is juiced.

That is a great picture actually. He looks like a super-hero! Good one... :) I've said for years, though, that Dave is my swimming hero. And it really is a cool poster. Take a look below. To take the photo, the photographer laid on his stomach on the 3-meter diving board and aimed the camera straight down toward the water. Dave pushed off on his back in a streamlined position.

I just realized I am 75, I have been around a long time. 25 years less then FINA, FINA has really messed things up. Crooked judges, suspending people who say they have never used drugs. They say they are cleaning up sport, It seems to me sport is getting messier and messier.