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OMAHA,
Nebraska—They blasted “American Woman” over the
public-address system here Friday night after
41-year-old Dara Torres took what had been an intriguing
story line and turned it into a comeback story for the
aged.
This
mother of a two-year-old girl looked like a kid again
herself—waving an American flag on the pool deck—in
making an unprecedented fifth Olympic team, winning the
100-meter freestyle in 53.78 seconds at the US Olympic
swimming trials.
Natalie
Coughlin, the US record holder, was second in 53.83.
“I was
shocked when I touched the wall,” Torres said. “I
couldn’t see the scoreboard. What does that say? They
need to make those numbers bigger for people my age. I’m
shocked. I don’t think it’s hit me yet, a fifth Olympic
team....I don’t think it’s sunk in yet. I’m thrilled.”
Torres
needed a moment to collect herself before facing the
media in the mixed zone. She thought about Edward, her
late father, who passed away a year-and-a-half ago
before she could tell him about her comeback plans.
“I was
feeling he was with me in that race, and really feeling
him at the end,” Torres said. “I was trying to hold a
brave face while I was out there because I didn’t want
anyone to see me crying.”
Depending upon what happens in the upcoming 50
freestyle, Torres could potentially drop the 100 from
her Olympic program. But, on this night, she relished
holding her daughter Tessa during the awards ceremony on
the pool deck. This was Torres’ first Olympic trials in
eight years.
One
other musical adjustment might need to be made to the
trials program, however. “American Woman” might have to
be changed to “American Women.”
Not only
did Torres deliver the bombshell moment of the trials,
there was another resurgent sidekick on the deck, a yin
to the Torres’s yang, in the form of 26-year-old Amanda
Beard, who made her fourth Olympic team Friday night
after placing second in the 200 breaststroke in 2:25.13
behind Rebecca Soni’s 2:22.60.
“I knew
I could make the team, but I knew it was a long shot,”
Beard said. “I came in here with not a lot of training
under my belt, not feeling 100-percent ready to go.
“Fortunately, it worked out fine, and I think my
experience helped me out. The crowd was extremely loud
and noisy right before we walked out, and I love that. I
thrive off that. I thrive off the pressure and the
stress, and I have so much fun with that. For other
girls, that can be intimidating.”
The
women defied age at Qwest Center. And the men were
taking down records and equaling them, too.
Michael
Phelps broke his second world record here, this time in
the 200-meter individual medley, and it had striking
similarities to his first, in the 400 individual medley.
On both occasions, he was pushed to the limit by
runner-up Ryan Lochte. Phelps won the 200 in one minute
and 54.80 seconds, under his mark of 1:54.98, set at the
World Championships in Melbourne, Australia, last year.
Lochte was second in 1:55.22.
“I think
both of us hate to lose,” said Phelps, who won his
fourth individual race, this time with Olympic legend
Mark Spitz on hand.
Lochte
was Mr. Assist on two fronts. He was even closer in
losing to Peirsol in the 200 backstroke. Peirsol beat
Lochte, 1:54.32 to 1:54.34, tying Lochte’s world record,
set at the World Championships last year.
Peirsol,
the defending Olympic champion in the 100 and 200
backstroke events, was asked if this was revenge for
losing to Lochte in Australia and losing the world
record there.
“If I
was seeking revenge, I probably would have beat him by a
second,” Peirsol said.
Peirsol
and Beard virtually grew up together, dating to their
preteens in Orange County, California, both swimming for
the Irvine Novaquatics. He was asked whether the Orange
County stars had somehow aligned.
“Stars....I’m so impressed with Amanda,” Peirsol said.
“She’s got the best head for this sport of anybody out
there. She can get her hand on the wall. One of those
people you cannot mentally stress.”
He spoke
about Beard making her fourth team and joked that Torres
could be making her “eighth” team, adding: “It’s
incredible. It blows me away.”
Phelps,
likewise, was impressed and joked, “I’ve been calling
her my mom. At 41, with a kid, it’s extremely
impressive.”
On the
running theme of age, lastly, there was Gary Hall Jr.,
who blew kisses to the crowd before the semifinal of his
50 freestyle. The 33-year-old Hall, the two-time
defending Olympic champion, will be swimming at least
one more day after posting the third-fastest qualifying
time for Saturday night’s final in 21.89 seconds behind
Cullen Jones and Ben Wildman-Tobriner.
On
Saturday Phelps got another shot at Mark Spitz’s Olympic
record in Beijing after locking up his eight-race
schedule by winning the 100-meter butterfly.
Phelps
powered away on the return lap to easily beat
world-record holder Ian Crocker in a time of 50.89
seconds, about a half-second slower than Crocker’s
three-year-old mark of 50.40. (With AP) |
