Dara Torres-Amazing

Geochuck, Some think with their head.... some think with their heart. To each his own in terms of their opinion on Dara and her performance. Personally, I feel bad for US women's swimming. It's embarassing to think that out of the hundreds of top level programs and elite level talent in this country our best female sprinter is middle aged. If she is "clean", she is making a mockery of training across the country with her long absences and reduced yardage format. If she is not "clean", she is making a mockery of USADA and US Swimming. Who knows for sure in the end. Too bad testing isn't rock solid. John Smith

Or maybe she's demonstrating an effective alternate way to train, and that $100k worth of personal support staff actually buys something worthwhile.

Wiow, she made it! Roll on the 50!

If she is "clean", she is making a mockery of training across the country with her long absences and reduced yardage format. If she is not "clean", she is making a mockery of USADA and US Swimming. Who knows for sure in the end. Too bad testing isn't rock solid. John Smith John, Can't we just let it be a feel good story? why do we always have to question? Dara has been very aggressive in her request for drug testing, I for one believe, she is for real. From an ESPN article..... Torres has never tested positive for any performance enhancers to my knowledge. She's requested random blood and urine testing from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency and said she wants to be "an open book." Torres met with USADA CEO Travis T. Tygart last year and, according to a report from The New York Times, decided to volunteer for a pilot program under the agency that "tests more broadly" for doping through blood and urine samples. "Can USADA give Dara or some other athlete the stamp of cleanliness?" Tygart asked the newspaper. "No, the science isn't there yet." But he added, "I think a dirty athlete would be crazy to volunteer for this program." According to the report, Tygart has yet to release any of Torres' results, but she told reporters here at the trials this week that she has been randomly tested "probably about 12 to 15 times since March."

On the news yesterday they mentioned how a 16 year old girl (who looked more like 12) placed fifth in one of the track events at Olympic Trials and apparently this was a big deal. Isn't it strange that high schoolers rarely reach the highest levels in track but they do in swimming? On the other hand, there have been lots of track stars that continue to excel into their 30s. Haven't seen many in their 40s, though. edit: correction. She finished fifth in her heat to advance to today's finals. Here's a story about her: sports.espn.go.com/.../story

Things that make you go hmmmm?? Hmmm ... that was my reaction too. How many kids can spend a $100,000+ to train? Is Dara's training really 180 degrees different? Aren't sprinters at that level in sprint programs? Don't they have weight and resistance programs and trainers? Maybe the resistance stretching program is different, but other swimmers must be getting massages and ART.

What kind of money does she have to put out for this entourage of hers. It must be nice. Most clubs don't have the kind of staff that she alone has.

I understand that she figured out about what it would cost to have the "entourage" and then went and found sponsors to support her. It would be interesting to know how the other, younger, elite swimmers pay for pool time, coaches, travel and all.

John, would you find it as embarrassing having a middle age man represent our sport? Why do you find Dara embarrassing?

John, would you find it as embarrassing having a middle age man represent our sport? Why do you find Dara embarrassing? If it was any of the "usual suspects" on this forum, then, yes, most certainly I'd be embarrassed.