Dara Torres-Amazing

I thought that was a pretty fair piece of journalism. Thanks for sharing.

I did not know there was any link between Balco and Dara. I must fall back to my past thoughts. I need proof positive. Sure, but by the same token can you feel this way? Dara's performances in Omaha have been greeted in some accounts with extreme suspicion. This is the understandable, if regrettable, import of the BALCO scandal and the Mitchell Report, of Marion Jones and Floyd Landis and of far too many others in recent years. Which I totally get.

I don't recall reading anything about any relationship between Dara and Balco. She's 6' tall, but only 150 lbs. She doesn't look like a weightlifter, but more like one of those fitness competitor athletes (frighteningly low body fat). She's been setting world class times since she was 14. She's just very gifted. And definitely motivated. She spends 100k+ a year on her personal trainers. Would be a lot cheaper for her to dope I suspect. She's also said she has nothing against her samples being stored for the long term, for future testing. This is important IMO. If she didn't look like she was in incredible shape, and was setting world record times in MULTIPLE events, I'd be worried. But she's focusing on one stroke, and only 2 events, and clearly she's perfecting them. And let's not forget, there are other swimmers posting amazing times in the 50, she needs our encouragement and support to medal.

I don't recall reading anything about any relationship between Dara and Balco. She's 6' tall, but only 150 lbs. She doesn't look like a weightlifter, but more like one of those fitness competitor athletes (frighteningly low body fat). She's been setting world class times since she was 14. She's just very gifted. And definitely motivated. She spends 100k+ a year on her personal trainers. Would be a lot cheaper for her to dope I suspect. She's also said she has nothing against her samples being stored for the long term, for future testing. This is important IMO. If she didn't look like she was in incredible shape, and was setting world record times in MULTIPLE events, I'd be worried. But she's focusing on one stroke, and only 2 events, and clearly she's perfecting them. And let's not forget, there are other swimmers posting amazing times in the 50, she needs our encouragement and support to medal. I completely agree....must be kind of sad to go through life with such a cynical and pessimistic attitude as some others do.

My wife timed my 10k postal swim a couple years ago. And put up with my grouchy wiped out self afterwards. I still can't convince her to go to a practice though... Skip Yeah. I won't push my luck by asking him to go to a practice. Plus, why make him see me get slaughtered by 14 year old munchkins!? :rofl: Although he probably wants to make sure you don't die or drown during your latest insane endeavor. This is true. There's been too much conversation by my family about death during this swim. It's in a lake for cryin' out loud! It's strange but everyone in my family is talking about how I can hopefully "float" in the B70 if something were to happen. Sheesh. Ye of little faith! I scared my mom by telling her that I hoped to not run into any Alligators or freshwater Garrs.

No, not what I said....nobody makes you go through life like that! It is your choice how you choose to view things! You can go through life all cynical and pessimistic because a few people cheated....or you can believe in the good of people until they prove otherwise! I choose to look at things optimistically and trust people until they prove otherwise.....makes life pretty good as far as I am concerned!

Nah, he usually leaves me $5 I'll take naive over bitter any time....seems like that is going around quite a bit huh? Must have something to do with waking up next to a pumpkin!!!!

I did not know there was any link between Balco and Dara. There isn't. Reread my post. The author of the article wrote: "Dara's performances in Omaha have been greeted in some accounts with extreme suspicion. This is the understandable, if regrettable, import of the BALCO scandal and the Mitchell Report, of Marion Jones and Floyd Landis and of far too many others in recent years. Which I totally get." Maybe you've had too many margaritas today, George.

Never said there was anything wrong with questioning things...but after a while when there is absolutely no evidence to support the accusations....call them what you like, that is what they are....you sooner or later have to realize that the "impossible" is actually "possible". It happens every year, people get faster, equipment gets better and knowledge expands in the areas of fitness and training....people are breaking barriers and records all the time. This just happens to be by a 41 year old woman with a pretty remarkable career already: WR at 15 then again at 16 and 17....probably would have had a Gold Medal at the 1984 Olympics in the 50 except for one big problem...it wasn't in the Olympics until 1988. Women's swimming Gold Los Angeles 1984 4x100 m freestyle relay Gold Barcelona 1992 4x100 m freestyle relay Gold Sydney 2000 4x100 m freestyle relay Gold Sydney 2000 4x100 m medley relay Silver Seoul 1988 4x100 m medley relay Bronze Seoul 1988 4x100 m freestyle relay Bronze Sydney 2000 50 m freestyle Bronze Sydney 2000 100 m freestyle Bronze Sydney 2000 100 m butterfly Has held the AR several times as well Pretty remarkable career by any standard if you ask me! Why is it such a stretch for her to do this? Oh yeah....cause it's never been done before..... Nobody had ever won 7 Golds - Spitz did it...will Phelps break that, possibly....uh oh he must be cheating!!!! I'll ask this question again: Just what else can she possibly do to prove herself? Anyone?

Landis is a druggie proof positive, Clemens is pure not proof positive. Questioning things is OK but this rip Dara apart is going too far. Being a realist is not necessarily associated with being unhappy or sad or bitter! What's wrong with questioning things? Who wants to blithely or blindly accept what others say without independent analysis? No reason to put the brain in storage! And there's really not "proof positive" for virtually anything in life. If you're waiting around for that, you'll be waiting a long time. Of course, George still thinks Clemens and Landis are clean ...