Dara Torres-Amazing

Careful Kirk..... take a look at Rich's pedigree in the sport. He was as good or better than Dara in his day. Rich is a good comparison for Dara. They both made free relays on the Olympic team in their day. Rich is the "real" thing and he was a multilple national team qualifier. Rich is legit, no question, but I just don't think his pedigree in the sport is quite up to Dara's level. Also keep in mind the 50 was usually Dara's forte and that wasn't contested at the Olympics until 1988. I think I posted this once before, but here's a link to the results of the 1984 Trials. You might recognize the person in the photo on the second page! www.usaswimming.org/.../84_otrials.pdf

Rich is legit, no question, but I just don't think his pedigree in the sport is quite up to Dara's level. Also keep in mind the 50 was usually Dara's forte and that wasn't contested at the Olympics until 1988. I think I posted this once before, but here's a link to the results of the 1984 Trials. You might recognize the person in the photo on the second page! www.usaswimming.org/.../84_otrials.pdf Does Rich have "boatloads" of money too? Maybe he can be a test case ...

Look, this name calling and bickering is pointless. Look, we finally get a good hot topic and you want to quash the fun. This is legit conversation by folks who know the sport. Go back to planning your buffet for your meet if you don't like this. Personally, I find this interesting and am learning a lot about fast swimming and that Smith might be on the Balco power lunch, according to Skip anyway. Maybe you should take note.

Does Rich have "boatloads" of money too? Maybe he can be a test case ... No, but his dad does.

So what do you do with the results? Ban people from competing? I don't see that as being a reasonable course of action. It wouldn't be! Not to say the results wouldn't be interesting.

Dang it - busted again! I'll take down your picture and the caption underneath of your 2:46 200 SCY free and try to find motivation elsewhere. Will be hard to turn my attention from the self-appointed Stud but I shall do my best to carry on with my shattered swimming life.

Mr. Goodsmith: My point was that you and Rich are going pretty fast as Masters swimmers. But you guys were fast to begin with as NCAA Division I swimmers. Do you really think that Dara is on performance enhancing drugs? Because of what she did last night, you don't believe its possible that with the talent, changes in her technique, years of swimming experience, improved dryland and strength training, and an improved mental focus that its not possible to swim that fast? The reason I brought up your swimming is that you have said on this website or hinted that you do not train like you did back in the Univ. of Texas days. If you had the time and desire to do that how much faster would you go? I am willing to bet that even when Dara was not swimming she had a very serious dryland program with that Tai Boe stuff when she was working with Billy Blanks. With that kinda of exercise regime she had in retirement from swimming helped her sprinting capability and that could be one of the reasons why she is swimming faster. That maybe conventional training did work for her similar to what Gary Hall Jr. has said of himself and how with the Race Club type workouts he has been more successful for him and others and that is why he won the gold in the 50 Free in 2004. I suggest you read Mr. Busfield's accusations that are linked. He has accused Dara of taking performance enhancing drugs with out a single bit of proof. He cannot accept that her performances were done legitmately and that she should be banned from swimming based soley on the available circumstantial evidence. If you have not read those threads go and read them and comment on what you think. I have found so many inaccuracies from those 3 links that I could be hear the next 2 hours explaining them. AquaGeek, tell me what you think of those 3 linked stories and do you believe Mr Busfield has any creditability with his accusations? That its impossible to swim that fast as a 40 year old and that all of the circumstantial evidence points to the fact that Dara Torres is a cheater. I wonder what would have happened if Rowdy Gaines would have made the 1988 Olympic team in the 100 Free? People don't realize how close he came to making it and he trained about 10% of what he did for the 1980 and 1984 Olympics. He was 35 at the time but can't people believe that he had outstanding talent just like Dara has and this is a possibility.

AquaGeek, tell me what you think of those 3 linked stories and do you believe Mr Busfield has any creditability with his accusations? I'll admit those stories were flaky. As to you Stud - I had kidney stones, an enlarged phylo pactoractum muscle, had just given birth, ate a four-bean five-alarm chili burger and was mostly drunk when I set my PB, top that! Geez - just swim.

People who want to believe she is clean will find the flimsiest pretexts to believe itLike never testing positive on any drug test in her life or a boat load of Olympic medals? Pretty flimsy. And a lie detector test??? No self respecting conspiracy theorist will ever believe a lie detector test. The government will obviously fake the results or she will cheat the test. While some people love a conspiracy; the USA moon landing was filmed on a Hollywood sound stage, the grassy knoll, etc; the only facts in evidence to this point are 1) that Dara went 54.45 to win the 100 last night, 2) she has NEVER failed a drug test, 3) and conspiracy theorists will continue to ignore the facts.

I'll admit those stories were flaky. They were, but it's just a blog, not Scientific American. What can one expect? (Sorry ande) Some decent points nonetheless. Yeah, the notion of lie detector tests really creep me out, Rob.