Exceptions to every rule

Remember how I talked about the finality/urgency of the Olympics a few days ago, and how athletes are often lucky to even get 2 chances to compete in the Olympics?

Well, there are obviously exceptions to every rule, and one of them is right up there with what Michael Phelps is looking to accomplish as the biggest story surrounding the US swim team heading into Beijing. I just watched Dara Torres, who is 41 years old, win the 100 meter freestyle at the US Olympic Trials, securing her 5th trip to the Olympics. That would be impressive enough in and of itself (she's the first swimmer to do that, and will be the oldest female swimmer in Olympic history), but then you have to factor in the remaining piece of the story - she did not make the team in 1992, and did not even compete in 2004. That's right, she's made 5 different teams spanning 7 Olympic years. Her Olympic debut was back in the 1984 Games in Los Angeles. That's just crazy - to have a career as a world class swimmer that spans 24+ years. And it's not like she just snuck onto the team in a relay or something like that, she won the 100 free (which is her second best event behind the 50 free, which she broke her own American record in last year at age 40) by defeating Natalie Coughlin, who is one of the best swimmers in the world, and the defending Olympic bronze medalist in the event. She's still an elite level swimmer, and an individual medal threat at the Beijing Games.

It's really incredible for me to be here writing this, because I remember how big a story it was when Torres returned as a competitor in the 2000 Games in Sydney, after missing the Atlanta Games, at what was then considered a rather old age of 33. And now, she's here 8 years later, doing it all over again. No matter how you slice it, this is just an incredible athletic accomplishment, whether she brings any hardware back from Beijing or not.