Ranking Amanda Beard's Greatest Olympic Swimming Moments

U.S. swimming legend Amanda Beard couldn't juggle motherhood, tweeting, writing a book and aging well enough to qualify for her fifth Olympic team. 

She touched the wall in fifth place of the 200-meter breaststroke final at the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials, and with that likely will bring a close to a decorated and well-publicized Olympic career. 

This certainly was not a shock. Juggling all of those activities is a near-impossible task. However, if anyone was going to be able to handle this, it seemed like Beard would be the woman for the job. This seven-time Olympic medalist has accomplished so much in the pool that anything seemed possible.  

So let's take a look back at her greatest moments on the biggest stage as we almost certainly close the Olympic book on a great champion. 

No. 5: 2008 Olympics Co-Captain

2008 was by far Beard's least productive trip to the Olympics. She made it by qualifying second in the U.S. Trials in the 200-meter breaststroke, but she failed to even reach the semifinals in the event. 

Still, this was a great accomplishment for Beard simply because she was there. It was her fourth straight Olympics, and it came in a sport where longevity applies after about four years. 

Twelve years after her first Olympic appearance, Beard was named co-captain of the Beijing women's swim team.

1996 4x100 Medley Relay Gold Medal

Amanda Beard burst onto the scene as teddy-bear carrying 14-year-old fresh-faced kid that could breaststroke through the water like a dolphin, and she capped off that debut in golden style.

She teamed with Beth Botsford, Angel Martino and Amy Van Dyken in the finals of the 4x100 medley relay to crush the competition. 

With Beard handling the breaststroke duty, these four women swam to the gold by beating second-place Australia by over two seconds. This was the first of her two golds.

2004 200-Meter Individual Medley Silver

In 2004 Beard put it all together. She was already the world-record holder in the 200-meter breaststroke. She would win gold in that event at these Olympics, but she also showed the world that she was just a great swimmer, and not just great in the breaststroke. 

She finished the 200-meter individual medley with a time of 2 minutes, 11.70 seconds, which was just behind Ukraine's Yana Klochkova and her time of 2:11.14. This was her only medal in the Olympics in the IM. 

1996 100-Meter Breaststroke Silver Medal

Beard's stunning 1996 Olympics debut wasn't just about her contributions to her gold-medal relay team. 

She took the silver in both the 100- and 200-meter breaststroke by finishing second to South Africa's Penelope Heyns in both events. 

The 200 went on to be her better event, but the 100 provided her with her first Olympic medal, and it made her the second-youngest Olympic medalist in the history of American swimming. 

2004 200-Meter Breaststroke Gold Medal

Beard was dominant in 2004. She broke the world record in the 200-meter breaststroke while qualifying for the team, and followed that up with a gold-medal performance in the Olympics. 

Her time of 2 minutes, 23.27 seconds was enough to have her touch the wall comfortably ahead of Australia's Leisel Jones, who finished at 2:23.60. 

Beard won three medals at these Olympics. Along with the previously mentioned silver in the 200 individual medley, she also took a silver in 4x100 medley relay.