Emphasis is mine. Whether she medals or not, this is just astounding.
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BEIJING (AP)—Youth topped experience in the Olympic pool on Friday night, with Australian teen Cate Campbell out-sprinting 41-year-old American Dara Torres in the 50-meter freestyle preliminaries.
The 16-year-old swimmer qualified fastest in 24.20 seconds. She swam her heat in a lane next to Torres, who moved on to Saturday morning’s semifinals as third-fastest in 24.58.
“I love 50s, they’re so much fun,” Campbell said. “Every time I touch the wall it’s a mystery until I look up.”
Campbell wants to improve on her showing in the 100 free, where she failed to make the final. Torres had already been on three Olympic teams before Campbell was born.
“I think she’s an amazing woman and an amazing competitor,” Campbell said. “I really admire her. I’m not going to be swimming when I’m 40. No way.”
Torres is looking to pad her stash of Olympic medals.
She earned her 10th career medal last weekend, anchoring the U.S. women to a silver in the 400 free relay. But she wants an individual souvenir from her fifth Olympics, a record for an American swimmer.
Torres was the bronze medalist in the 50 at the 2000 Sydney Games. She retired but launched her comeback after giving birth to her first child in 2006.
“It felt really easy. I’ve been working on my starts,” she said. “My finish was horrible, but hopefully by Sunday I won’t think about anything, I’ll just do it.”
Torres is in Beijing without her personal coach, Michael Lohberg, who found out last month that he has a rare blood cancer in which the bone marrow doesn’t produce enough new cells.
Marleen Veldhuis of the Netherlands was second overall in 24.38. Libby Trickett, the world record-holder who earned a silver in the 100 free earlier Friday, was fourth in 24.67. She is the only woman to have gone under 24 seconds, clocking 23.97 at the Australian trials in March.
“It’s going to be a fast final so I’ve really got to bring it each round,” she said. “It’s obviously a very different format to have the finals in the morning and the heats at night. I really want to make it through to the next round, but once you’re there, it’s anyone’s game.”
Trickett first recorded a sub-24-second time in a race against Michael Phelps in April 2007, but swimming’s world governing body refused to ratify a world mark because it was a mixed gender race.
Also advancing among the top 16 were 100 champion Britta Steffen of Germany (sixth); Therese Alshammar of Sweden (ninth); and American Kara Lynn Joyce (14th).
Dara Torres, age 41, qualifies for semifinals
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Dara Torres, age 41, qualifies for semifinals
I just ordered chicken and an egg from Amazon. I'll let you know.
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my age too-My rotten kids keep reminding me that I am almost 42-September.PlacentiaSoccerMom wrote:I am pulling for her too! She is my age (a bit older) and I admire the fact that she was even able to qualify for the Olympics.lilclyde54 wrote:I believe I am pulling for her to win her Gold just as hard as I am for Michael Phelps to win that record 8th GM.