By John Lohn
BEIJING, China, August 16. MAYBE there's a little magic left in the pool. During a week that has been so special for everything Michael Phelps has been doing, a 41-year-old now sits one race and 50 meters shy of capturing a gold medal. Whether Dara Torres can pull of the feat in the 50-meter freestyle will be determined in the morning.
Swimming in the second semifinal, Torres popped a time of 24.27 to nail down the No. 1 slot for the championship final. Competing in her fifth Olympics and with 10 Olympic medals already to her credit, Torres just missed her American record of 24.25, set at the United States Olympic Trials last month in Omaha.
Torres will have her hands full with a field that is tightly bunched. The leader after the preliminaries, Australian Cate Campbell checked in with the second-fastest time of the semifinals, placing second to Torres in 24.42. Taking the third slot for the final was Germany's Britta Steffen. The Olympic champ in the 100 freestyle, Steffen touched in 24.43.
The Netherlands' Marleen Veldhuis was fourth in the session, thanks to a time of 24.46. She was followed by the world-record holder, Australian Libby Trickett (24.47). Another Dutch woman, Hinkelien Schreuder, was sixth in 24.52 and American Kara Lynn Joyce jumped into the seventh slot in 24.63. Rounding out the field for the final was Belarus' Aleksandra Gerasimenya (24.72).
Torres demonstrated some class as she asked an official to hold up her heat when Therese Alshammar needed to change out suits after a rip happened right before the event.
Results: 2008 Olympic Games - Swimming
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Reaction Time Comments
August 16, 2008 i am just so relieved to see an act of true sportsmanship in these games. dara torres, that was first class. Submitted by: lightbulb12
August 16, 2008 im gonna have to say that campbell is gonna snag gold from a fast finishing trickett and dara is gonna come third.. all due respect but dara is gonna come just a bit short this time.. on the other hand i think the world record is gonna get trounced to 23.45...:P Submitted by: aussie
August 16, 2008 ... wow a 23.45 i think you have gone mental. No one is going to break 24 seconds. Dara wins in 24.12 because Trickett is swimming kinda poorly and Cate just doesn't have the experience. Submitted by: WUswimmer
August 16, 2008 I'd be careful not to count out Steffen from Germany as a medal contender. She had a great 100 swim. She might take the momentum from that race, and use it in a positive manner. Will be a great race. Submitted by: Park528
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