[BEIJING 08]
Chris Goodridge
Guest Blogger, QueerGam
Dara Torres, 44yo, (below) is expected to win a gold medal at the Water Cube
Michael Phelps' epic pursuit of Mark Spitz. The ongoing rivalry between the American and Australian women. Prime-time television coverage back in America. Those elements add up to swimming making quite a splash at the Beijing Olympics. With Phelps, Katie Hoff and self-described "old lady" Dara Torres leading the way, the pool promises to be the hottest ticket at the games. And he'll be doing it in prime-time. The swimming finals will be held in the morning in Beijing, a switch made at the request of NBC so the races can be shown live at night in the States. They'll do the same thing for the gymnastics finals.
Dara with her child
Of course, Phelps won't be a one-man show in Beijing. His U.S. teammates are strong medal contenders in their own right. Natalie Coughlin, a five-time medalist in Athens, will swim three individual events, as will Ryan Lochte and Peter Vanderkaay. Aaron Peirsol goes for a second consecutive Olympic sweep of the backstroke events.
At 41, Torres could steal some of Phelps' thunder. She'll go for her 11th career medal in the 50 freestyle, and she could potentially swim two relays in her fifth Olympics. She'll be the oldest American ever to swim at the games, after two long retirements and the birth of her first child. "I want a medal," she said.
USA SWIMMERS IN BEIJING:
Nathan Adrian
Amanda Beard
Elizabeth Beisel
Ricky Berens
Elaine Breeden
Caroline Burckle
Natalie Coughlin
Ian Crocker
Mark Gangloff
Matt Grevers
Brendan Hansen
Jessica Hardy
Kathleen Hersey
Margaret Hoelzer
Katie Hoff
Megan Jendrick
Larsen Jensen
Cullen Jones
Kara Lynn Joyce
Klete Keller
Jason Lezak
Ryan Lochte
Christine Magnuson
Christine Marshall
Lacey Nymeyer
Torres
Vandeerkay
Piersol
Chris Goodridge
Guest Blogger, QueerGam
Dara Torres, 44yo, (below) is expected to win a gold medal at the Water Cube
Michael Phelps' epic pursuit of Mark Spitz. The ongoing rivalry between the American and Australian women. Prime-time television coverage back in America. Those elements add up to swimming making quite a splash at the Beijing Olympics. With Phelps, Katie Hoff and self-described "old lady" Dara Torres leading the way, the pool promises to be the hottest ticket at the games. And he'll be doing it in prime-time. The swimming finals will be held in the morning in Beijing, a switch made at the request of NBC so the races can be shown live at night in the States. They'll do the same thing for the gymnastics finals.
Dara with her child Of course, Phelps won't be a one-man show in Beijing. His U.S. teammates are strong medal contenders in their own right. Natalie Coughlin, a five-time medalist in Athens, will swim three individual events, as will Ryan Lochte and Peter Vanderkaay. Aaron Peirsol goes for a second consecutive Olympic sweep of the backstroke events.
At 41, Torres could steal some of Phelps' thunder. She'll go for her 11th career medal in the 50 freestyle, and she could potentially swim two relays in her fifth Olympics. She'll be the oldest American ever to swim at the games, after two long retirements and the birth of her first child. "I want a medal," she said.
USA SWIMMERS IN BEIJING:
Nathan Adrian
Amanda Beard
Elizabeth Beisel
Ricky Berens
Elaine Breeden
Caroline Burckle
Natalie Coughlin
Ian Crocker
Mark Gangloff
Matt Grevers
Brendan Hansen
Jessica Hardy
Kathleen Hersey
Margaret Hoelzer
Katie Hoff
Megan Jendrick
Larsen Jensen
Cullen Jones
Kara Lynn Joyce
Klete Keller
Jason Lezak
Ryan Lochte
Christine Magnuson
Christine Marshall
Lacey Nymeyer
Torres
Vandeerkay
Piersol