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.
I hope that's true
logic would make it seem that way
but some have an at all costs / ends justify the means / don't get caught attitude
I doubt a 41 year old woman would risk her life by taking harmful substances. She looks that way from proper nutrition and years of hard work.
The reason I have not had a bunch of pictures of me taken diving in. My muscles are finely cut and I don't want anyone saying I am on steroids. Look at cut arm muscles. Just added my new avatar of finely cut triceps.
Like others, I don't find past clean tests to be terribly conclusive. But, although I am skeptical and not naive, her photos don't look out of the realm of a ripped clean athlete to me. It's her age that awes me. It would be interesting to do an experiment where masters swimmers who train a fair amount also use her massage/stretching recovery tactics. For example, if someone like Ande followed this regimen in lieu of earning a living, would he go from elite master swimmer to smashing all of Tall Paul's WRs when he turns 45?
We simply do not know enough to say for sure one way or another, so this is all just pure speculation.
What Dara Torres has done is not out of the realm of possibility for an undoped 40-something. Look at Susan Von Der Lippe with much less training. It isn't as if Dara was a bolt of lightning out of a clear blue sky.
I don't think Dara is any more (or less) likely to dope than her competitors, so I'll just enjoy the races at face value unless something changes.
I saw Dara last weekend at the Missouri Grand Prix meet. I had binoculars and looked at her (and all of the other female competitors) as she stood behind the blocks before the prelims of the 50 Free. There were at least 10 heats, so there were plenty of other swimmers standing nearby.
Now keep in mind that I have been following this thread for quite a while, so I was very interested in her appearance and how she compared to the other athletes.
In terms of muscle size, "cut" of muscles, and so on, Dara didn't look any different when compared to the other female athletes. Her shoulders and upper arms didn't stand out at all. I was actually surprised that she really didn't stand out. The only thing I noticed was that even in goggles and a cap, you can tell by looking at her face that she is obviously much older than the other athletes.
Dara does have a superb stroke. It surprised me to see that at least one of her feet seems to come completely out of the water when she kicks. Kara Lynn Joyce also has a beautiful stroke, and it's deceptive. She doesn't look like she's going as fast as she is.
Anna Lea
Why don't you guys figure out what it is that you think she is using (bathing in ox blood or what have you), and then request that she be tested for that substance. Chances are, she will oblige.
