Dara Torres: Time Is Right for Former Olympic Hero to Retire

Like so many other former champions, Dara Torres' Olympic dreams came to a halt over the last few days in Omaha, Neb.

And though Torres' bid to make history by qualifying for a sixth Olympic Games fell short, that doesn't compromise the lasting impression her legacy will leave.

As it stands, what Torres did at the 2008 Olympics—becoming the oldest female swimmer, at 41, to ever to take part at the Games and becoming the first American to swim in five Olympics—was remarkable. It was worth seeing if she could be even greater, because isn't that what all elite athletes strive for? 

Torres missed a gold medal in the 50-meter freestyle at those 2008 games by one-hundredth of a second, and attempted to make it six trips to the Olympics this year. But after finishing fourth in the 50 free and missing the cut by nine-hundredths of a second on Monday, it was over for the 45-year-old. She, like so many other Olympic heroes of the past, decided to give it just one more try and fell short.

That doesn't mean she shouldn't have tried in the first place. That doesn't mean that she stole spotlight away from younger generations of swimmers, or that athletes like she, Nastia Liukin or any other athlete whose most competitive days are over did anything wrong.

It just means that Torres knows, officially, that the profession to which she has dedicated her life is moving on without her, and it's time to retire. No more rigorous workouts, no more drug testing, no more radical knee surgeries to prolong her career.

It's sad when any athlete's career comes to an end but particularly one that has been as replete with accomplishments, records and milestones as Torres'. But she isn't even disappointed. After an illustrious career in which she has accumulated four gold, four silver and four bronze medals, she understands that the end had to come someday.

After bowing out on Monday night, she told Chuck Schilken of the Los Angeles Times with a smile:

"

This is really over. That's it, I'm going to enjoy some time with my daughter, have a nice summer and cheer on the U.S. team from afar. I don't think there's anything I could have changed. You got to look at it realistically. As much as I want to win and I wanted to make the team, that's pretty good for a 45-year-old.

"

Indeed, a 24.82-second 50-meter freestyle is pretty good for someone whose first Olympics were in 1984.

Now, it's Jessica Hardy's time to shine and Kara Lynn Joyce's time. The same goes for all the other young Olympians who will make a bid for the gold this summer in London.

But if they're looking for anyone to emulate or anyone whose career might be a good measuring stick for their own, Dara Torres has given them a pretty good candidate.