BEIJING: Dara Torres was more than happy by moving into double digits in her Olympic medal count but also admitted she felt like the grandmother of swimming at the age of 41.
After all, Torres was up against 16-year-old Australian Cate Campbell in the anchor leg of the 4x100 metres freestyle relay and secured silver for the US team behind the Dutch and ahead of the Aussies at the Beijing Games on Sunday.
"It was bizarre. I think I might be older than her parents," said Torres.
Torres has been the toast of the fans and the media ever since she qualified for the 50m freestyle. The relay start was an extra bonus for the veteran swimming in her fifth Olympics, although the morning finals in Beijing are not too much to her liking.
"Getting up this morning was a little difficult for me. I don't know about these guys but I am not used to swimming this early in the
morning," she said.
However she was far from rusty and actually posted the second best time of all the women in the relay to bring her Olympic tally to four gold, two silvers and four bronze.
That will only further enhance her status among the middle-aged generation in the US and elsewhere.
"There are a lot of middle-aged women and men who tell me that I am an inspiration to them, and that they are doing things that they never thought they would do," said Torres.
