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Dara Torres Gunning For 13th Olympic Medal This Summer In London

Posted: 8:52 PM May 21, 2012
Reporter: KBTX Sports

Dara Torres Gunning For 13th Olympic This Summer In London

COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- The Texas Senior Circuit Long Course Meet number three isn't exactly where you'd expect to find a 12-time Olympic Medalist.

College Station 8th grader Danielle Scott was certainly surprised to see her swimming hero. "Dara was my my favorite swimmer ever since the 2008 Olympics so I'm really shocked that she would be here."

But maybe Senior is the key word, as the 45 year old Torres continues her quest for a 5th Olympic gold medal.
Torres won the 50 meter Freestyle Sunday evening at Texas A&M, a place she enjoys going for a swim.

Torres said, "You know I've always loved College Station. I've been coming here since I think '07 or '08 and I've been coming here since then and it's just a great pool. The people are great. The crowd is great."

It seems Torres spent as much time taking pictures and signing autographs as she did in the pool Sunday, but the role-model part is one she plays well.

"You know most of the kids that came up to me to ask for autographs were like, 'Oh this for my mom or this is for my trainer' so they're all usually a little bit older," said Torres. "But the kids are great and it's nice when they come up and everyone is very polite and it's nice to know that you're possibly a role model for someone. I had different swimmers that I looked up to so it's nice that I guess a couple swimmers look up to me too."

If Torres completes her goal of swimming in the 2012 games she'll be the oldest ever Olympic swimmer.
Courtesy of the three silvers in 2008 she's already the oldest swimming medalist in Olympic history, now she aims for one more in the 50 freestyle.

"Now with me wanting to make the Olympic team it's really just longevity of being in the sport is probably what I'm most proud of in my career. I am really, really, really middle-aged now and trying to do this a sixth time is really tough and it's the toughest probably out of all the Olympic trials that I've been to so I'm just going to go in there and have fun and whatever's gonna happen's gonna happen. I've put all the training in and we'll just see what my body can do."

The Olympic Trials begin June 25th in Omaha, Nebraska.

For the record, Torres is a proud University of Florida alum and says she's excited about the Aggies joining her Gators in the SEC.