Dara Torres does it again

Dara Torres continues to defy age and expectations when it comes to her performance in the pool.

In a world record time trial attempt in the women’s 50 fly, Torres raced to a 25.50. The performance gave her a third-straight progression of the American record, lowering her time of 25.72 set in College Station, Texas in May. Earlier that day, she broke Jenny Thompson’s 2003 record of 26.00 with a 25.84 during prelims.

Torres missed the world record of 25.33 set by Marleen Veldhuis of The Netherlands in April of this year. But, her 25.50 moved her into third all time. She stands behind Velduis and Sweden’s Therese Alshammar (25.46), while moving in front of Sweden’s Anna-Karin Kammerling (25.57).

The 42-year-old swimmer and 28-time U.S. championship winner also won her 16th national title in the 50-free swim, finishing the competition in 24.43 seconds, and beating two other female swimmers half her age. That gives her a spot on the world championship team, which will compete in Rome later this month. Torres blew many 20-something swimmers out of the water in last year’s Beijing Olympics.

Despite the fact Torres has a body many of us could only dream about having, it’s starting to give her a run for her money. She had surgeries on her right shoulder, left thumb and left knee, and she’ll have another knee surgery later this year. Torres has a packed schedule, which includes spending as much time as possible with her three-year-old daughter, Tessa, as well as various speaking engagements and sponsor commitments.

“The adrenaline is kicking in, so I don’t think about the knee that much,” Torres said. “I just try to push it out of my head. Age is just a number, right? Everything I do is for Tessa. She enjoys coming out and watching me swim.”

AAU presents 79th Annual Sullivan Award semi-finalists

Known as the “Oscar” of sports awards and older than The Heisman, the AAU Sullivan Award honors the outstanding amateur athlete in the United States. It has been presented annually by the AAU since 1930 as a salute to founder and past president of the Amateur Athletic Union, and a pioneer in amateur sports, James E. Sullivan. Based on the qualities of leadership, character, sportsmanship, and the ideals of amateurism, the AAU Sullivan Award goes far beyond athletic accomplishments and honors those who have shown strong moral character.

Olympic gymnasts Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson are among the 12 amateur athletes chosen as semifinalists for the 79th Annual AAU James E. Sullivan Award it was announced today. 

 The other ten semifinalists are: Olympic silver medal gymnast Jonathan Horton; the U.S. Olympic men’s 4×100m free relay team, swimming; Cynthia Barboza of Stanford University, volleyball; Amanda Blumenherst of Duke University, golf; Sam Bradford of the University of Oklahoma, football; Tyler Hansbrough of the University of North Carolina, basketball; the Lopez Family of Sugar Land, Texas, taekwondo; Erin Popovich of Silverbow, Mont., Paralympic swimming; Gerald “Buster” Posey of Florida State University, baseball; and Dara Torres of Parkland, Fla., swimming.

Fans may vote online at www.usatoday.com, and voting information will be announced soon. The winner will be announced on April 15 at the New York Athletic Club. Good luck, all!

Past Female Winners include:
Joan Benoit Samuelson (1985) Track & Field
Bonnie Blair (1992) Skating
Tracy Caulkins (1978) Swimming
Mary Decker (1982) Track & Field
Janet Evans (1989) Swimming
Chamique Holdsclaw (1998) Basketball
Sarah Hughes (2002) Figure Skating
Florence Griffin Joyner (1988) Track & Field
Jackie Joyner Kersee (1986) Track & Field
Michelle Kwan (2001) Figure Skating
Jessica Long (2006) Swimming
Patricia McCormick (1956) Diving
Debbie Meyer (1968) Swimming
Kelly & Coco Miller (1999) Basketball
Wilma Rudolph (1961) Track & Field

Swimmers and stars come together at Golden Goggle Awards

November 19, 2008 -  If you’ve been wondering where your favorite swimmers have been hiding since Beijing, most of them were at the New York Hilton on Monday night for USA Swimming’s fifth annual Golden Goggle Awards (clever name, huh?).

Olympic champions Natalie Coughlin and Michael Phelps were the big winners at the event, which was hosted by Bob Costas and celebrated the accomplishments of the totally awesome 2008 Olympic Swim Team.

Coughlin won top honors on the women’s side, taking home the Female Athlete of the Year trophy. Coughlin earned six medals at the Olympics – one gold, two silver, and three bronze, becoming the first woman in any sport, to win six medals in one Olympiad. In 2008, Coughlin broke the 100m back world record three times and set a total of 11 American records.

“This was a great year,” Coughlin said. “This year was really special with so many records being broken and I’m really glad to have been a part of it.”

Phelps’ record-setting performance in Beijing earned him three Golden Goggle Awards at USA Swimming’s annual banquet including Male Athlete of the Year and Male Performance of the Year.

Women’s swimmer Rebecca Soni was honored with two Golden Goggle awards, the Breakout Performer of the Year Award and the Female Performance of the Year Award for her stellar performance in the 200m breast at the Olympics in 2008. The USC senior took home a total of three Olympic medals in Beijing, a gold in the 200m breast and silvers in the 100m breast and 400m medley relay. Soni broke the world record in the 200m breast, and defeated heavy favorite Leisel Jones of Australia to win her first gold.

Dara Torres, 41, who won three silver medals at the Beijing Olympics, said at the New York banquet  that if she can stay healthy, she hopes to race at the world championships next summer.

Among the celebrity guests in attendance tonight were Donald Trump, Tiki Barber, David Blaine, Ana Ortiz (”Ugly Betty’), Heather Matarazzo, as well as Olympic legends Summer Sanders, Pablo Morales, Gary Hall Jr., Lenny Krayzelburg, Jenny Thompson, and Rowdy Gaines.

In other swim news, the AP reports that Katie Hoff is now training with Michael Phelps’s coach, Golden Goggle winner Bob Bowman, who has returned to the North Baltimore Aquatic Club after four years at the University of Michagan:

Swimmer Katie Hoff has changed coaches after a disappointing Olympics in which the six-time world champion failed to win a gold medal in a half dozen events.

Engines of Change

September 24, 2008 – One of the things we love about athletes is that many of them work as hard for their charities and communities as they do for their respective sports.

When a group of elite level athletes started their events in China last month, they did so with at least two goals. The first, of course, was to exert maximum effort and, with luck, come home with a medal. And the second was to make a good showing for the charities they support.

Toyota calls these athletes Engines of Change and they developed a program last year to support them while promoting healthy living and a commitment to community. The Engines of Change program, a nod to Toyota’s hybrid technology, is designed to interact with various athletic communities, namely triathlon, swimming and cycling by educating and engaging participants, supporters and spectators in the program through a wide range of online and offline activities, including an interactive, on-site display of Toyota’s hybrid vehicles (that last part was from their press release in case you couldn’t tell).

Toyota’s support for athletes comes in several forms. First, there’s a bit of financial support that’s intended to help the athletes focus more on training and less on personal financial concerns. Second, there’s a bit of financial support directed toward the charities and community activities in which each athlete is involved. And third, the company supports their sports, through events and sponsorships, as they train in the U.S.

Among the current Engines of Change are swimmers Dara Torres and Tara Kirk and triathlete Sara Haskins. Dara Torres’ donates money to the Eating Disorders Alliance; Sarah Haskins’ supports Jenny’s Light, a foundation for postpartum illnesses and swimmer Tara donated money to the Bremerton Foundation in support of her high school.

These athletes are interested in doing well at competitions while doing good at home. We’re impressed by their hard work and dedication, and we wish them luck in each magnificent endeavor.

To see what other charities athletes support, check out Random Acts of Kindness

Passion for Fashion: Maria Sharapova and Dara Torres in the news

September 8, 2008 -After winning three silver medals in Beijing, Olympic swimmer Dara Torres has mastered another challenge: walking the runway at New York Fashion Week. Torres went for fashion gold on Sunday, when she modeled two looks in Charles Nolan’s newest collection. Nolan’s show is always fun, thanks in part to his use of “real” people on the runway. This season’s show included a holistic healer, a grandmother, a ferry boat captain, and a 12-time Olympic medalist.

The 41-year-old Torres modeled two looks for the presentation of Nolan’s spring collection at the designer’s Chelsea studio. Her first look, an old-style swimsuit featuring a blue-and-white striped tank top and navy swim shorts, which she modeled carrying her two year old daughter, showed off her chiseled legs. Her second look, a dancing dress made of black jersey and silk taffeta, reflected ageless sophistication.

Wonder what’s more nerve-wracking? Walking the runway or swimming at the Olympics?

In other news, Cole Haan announced that  three-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova will be the face of a new sportswear clothing line debuting in the spring of 2009.

The new line, called Cole Haan Sporting, will include men’s and women’s footwear and accessories. Items will include flats, boat shoes, duffel bags and tennis racquet bags and will for between $115 and $550.

Sharapova, 21, will collaborate on the fall 2009 season, the company said. The former world number one has a longstanding passion for fashion and is considered a style icon. So it seems fitting that Cole Haan Sporting (a subsidiary of Nike) will embody sport style with a collection inspired by nautical, court, track, and golf.

“Cole Haan Sporting proves that fashion and technology can work together to change the way women think about and wear sport-inspired product,” said Sharapova. “I look forward to working with Cole Haan to bring new innovations to this leading fashion brand with such a rich history.”

Can’t wait to see some of the pieces in the collection. What do you think of the partnership?

Dara Torres makes a splash at Olympic Trials

July 8, 2008 – For eight days, the Qwest Center in Omaha served as the epicenter of heartbreak and elation, as the U.S. Swimming Olympic Trials steadily unfolded.

We witnessed Michael Phelps earn a shot to overtake Mark Spitz and win eight gold medals at the Beijing Games. We watched Natalie Coughlin assert her dominance in the 100-meter backstroke and become the first woman in history to break 59 seconds. We saw Amanda Beard complete an unlikely comeback and make her fourth Olympic team and Katie Hoff qualify for five events plus a relay.

But the swimmer who quite possibly made the biggest splash at the eight-day trials, was 41 year old Dara Torres who won the 50- and 100-meter freestyles. Torres won the 50 in 24.25 seconds, bettering the American record she set the day before. Former Cal star Jessica Hardy finished second in 24.82 to add another event to her Olympic program, which includes the 100 breaststroke and 400 freestyle relay.

With her two year old daughter watching, Torres successfully completed her bid to make a fifth Olympic team. She nabbed her first gold medal at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. And she is committed to adding another Olympic medal to the nine she already owns. “I can’t sit here and say, ‘Oh, I’m just glad to be going,’” Torres said. “I want to win a medal.”

Olympic team members now head to Stanford on Monday for two weeks of training before departing to Singapore for another camp. We’ll be watching!