Citius, Altius, Fortius
After the Marion Jones incident, I felt so cheated that I don’t follow track events with the same earnest that I used to follow few years back. So even though Usain Bolt's WR time of 9.68 s goes to my personal database but somewhere I don’t feel the rush of adrenaline that I used to. Somewhere the bitterness of the Jones' episode ceases to go away. Hence I shifted my attention to the pool arena.
Well as I write this post, Michael Phelps has already created history winning 8 Gold medals in the 8 events he competed in (including 7 world records and 1 Olympic record). He did break Mark Spitz 36 year old 7 Gold haul. So all in all Beijing 2008 belongs to Mr. Phelps, his 12000 calorie daily diet and Speedo LZR $500 swim suits and his attitude (I don’t want to be the second Mark Spitz but the first Michael Phelps). But as with Every Olympic Games I have followed over the period of two decades now, they have their own heroes and heroines.
To me this Olympic belongs to a lot of people. Mr Phelps being the foremost contender. But I dedicate this post to Mrs. Dara Torres. Why? Even who is she, would ask lots of people. Dara Torres is a 41 year old US swimmer who is competing in her fifth Olympic games. She first participated in Los Angeles 84 games as a 17 year old. In an age where the time separating the winners is a measly one-hundredths of a second, competing and qualifying for a spot in the US swim team takes a lot. Even for a nine time medal winner it’s very demanding. Fondly referred as “Mom” in the US swimming team, Dara Torres, mother of a 2 year old, not only manages to compete but actually beat girls half her age.
What makes the fact much tougher is the fact that she is a swim sprinter. And imagine Dara Torres is clocking times that are bettering her efforts 20 year back. In fact Dara retired after Barcelona 92 coz she felt she was "too old" to compete - she was 25 back then. Returned from retirement in 2000 Sydney games and won 5 medals. 8 years later she again scorched the pools to win 3 medals in the 3 races she participated. Critics though haven’t been quiet. After being accused of using performance- enhancing drugs Dara herself volunteered for an USADA program for ruling out such allegations. She won 3 silver medals (50 m freestyle and 4X100 freestyle relay and 4X100 medley) in Beijing 08 becoming the oldest individual to win a games medal. Something that really questions the very basic of physiological queries, does our body really have a peaking time? Or is it as much as we can exert to extract the best, till the last ounce? Dara benefited from a cutting edge training and recovery program, but that does not undermine her feat in any way. Standing on the victory with her two year old daughter on her hip - Few, if any, can claim that. I can only say the following - Its an awesome, unattainable feat.
More information on Dara Torres can be found at the following links
Torres Is Getting Older, but Swimming Faster
Dara Torres
Dara Torres No 2 in people to watch out for in Beijing 08
Well as I write this post, Michael Phelps has already created history winning 8 Gold medals in the 8 events he competed in (including 7 world records and 1 Olympic record). He did break Mark Spitz 36 year old 7 Gold haul. So all in all Beijing 2008 belongs to Mr. Phelps, his 12000 calorie daily diet and Speedo LZR $500 swim suits and his attitude (I don’t want to be the second Mark Spitz but the first Michael Phelps). But as with Every Olympic Games I have followed over the period of two decades now, they have their own heroes and heroines.
To me this Olympic belongs to a lot of people. Mr Phelps being the foremost contender. But I dedicate this post to Mrs. Dara Torres. Why? Even who is she, would ask lots of people. Dara Torres is a 41 year old US swimmer who is competing in her fifth Olympic games. She first participated in Los Angeles 84 games as a 17 year old. In an age where the time separating the winners is a measly one-hundredths of a second, competing and qualifying for a spot in the US swim team takes a lot. Even for a nine time medal winner it’s very demanding. Fondly referred as “Mom” in the US swimming team, Dara Torres, mother of a 2 year old, not only manages to compete but actually beat girls half her age.
What makes the fact much tougher is the fact that she is a swim sprinter. And imagine Dara Torres is clocking times that are bettering her efforts 20 year back. In fact Dara retired after Barcelona 92 coz she felt she was "too old" to compete - she was 25 back then. Returned from retirement in 2000 Sydney games and won 5 medals. 8 years later she again scorched the pools to win 3 medals in the 3 races she participated. Critics though haven’t been quiet. After being accused of using performance- enhancing drugs Dara herself volunteered for an USADA program for ruling out such allegations. She won 3 silver medals (50 m freestyle and 4X100 freestyle relay and 4X100 medley) in Beijing 08 becoming the oldest individual to win a games medal. Something that really questions the very basic of physiological queries, does our body really have a peaking time? Or is it as much as we can exert to extract the best, till the last ounce? Dara benefited from a cutting edge training and recovery program, but that does not undermine her feat in any way. Standing on the victory with her two year old daughter on her hip - Few, if any, can claim that. I can only say the following - Its an awesome, unattainable feat.More information on Dara Torres can be found at the following links
Torres Is Getting Older, but Swimming Faster
Dara Torres
Dara Torres No 2 in people to watch out for in Beijing 08
posted by shaun's world at
3:50 PM
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