Dara Torres Sets Two Spectacular Masters World Marks

By Phillip Whitten

December 16. FOUR-TIME Olympian Dara Torres swam to two stunning Masters world records to highlight the Holiday Invitational (Short Course Meters) Masters Meet in Coral Springs, Florida, on December 2-3.

In a meet that saw numerous outstanding swims, Torres' performances provided the most spectacular fireworks, leaving kittle doubt that the 39 year-old wonder woman is thinking seriously of making what would be an unprecedented fifth Olympic appearance in Beijing in 2008 at the age of 41.

It says here: She can do it!!!

Her best shots are the individual 50 free and the 400 free relay, but you can't count her out in the individual 100 free and 100 fly if she puts her mind to it.

So what did Dara – competing with only Masters training — do at Coral Springs?

Check it out:

50 meter freestyle: 25.10 seconds.
100 meter freestyle: 54.95 seconds

The times shattered the previous Masters world marks for women 35-39, both of which were outstanding. The 50 standard, set 11 years ago, was 26.13 and it was owned by Sandy Neilsen-Bell, a triple gold medalist for the USA at the 1972 Munich Olympics.

The 100-meter standard, 57.65, had been owned by Masters legend Karlyn Pipes-Neilsen of Hawaii since 2000.

What's more, the times are the fastest ever swum by a Masters womanof any age. That distinction had been held by 25 year-old Sumuka Komatsu of Japan, who swam to 25-29 records of 25.42 and 56.30, respectively, earlier this year.

As fast as Torres was in Coral Springs, This scribbler suspects this s only the beginning.

Remember, you read it here first!

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