ESPN.com Writer Accuses Dara Torres of Using Performance-Enhancing Drugs

The 41-year-old American swimmer Dara Torres won the 100-meter freestyle at the U.S. Olympic trials, and she credited her training regimen for her success at such an advanced age.

But ESPN.com's Pat Forde is not convinced. Forde thinks that the simplest explanation for a super-human athletic performance is that the athlete is using performance-enhancing drugs. He quotes Torres saying, "Anyone who makes any accusations, I see it as a compliment," and writes that she should "take this column as one long compliment."

The meat of Forde's argument is this:

It shouldn't even be possible for a woman in her 40s.
Which is the sticking point. This is all unprecedented -- and after years of being conned, we've become conditioned to question the unprecedented.

Who swims this well at that age? After having a child? Nobody. Ever.

Who takes six years off and comes back better than ever, lowering her best time in the 100 meters from 54.43 seconds in 2000 to 53.78 Friday night? Nobody. Ever.

Who has shoulder and knee surgery and comes back to whip women half her age less than a year later? Nobody. Ever.

Of course, for as long as sports have existed, we've been marveling at achievements that nobody ever accomplished before. Now we seem to have reached the point where instead of marveling, we scoff.

Dara Torres

Dara Torres leaves the starting block in the women's 50-meter freestyle preliminaries at the US Olympic swimming trials in Omaha, Neb., Saturday, July 5, 2008. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Dara Torres leaps off the starting block in the women's 50m freestyle at the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials in Omaha, Nebraska July 5, 2008. REUTERS/Jeff Haynes (UNITED STATES) (BEIJING OLYMPICS 2008 PREVIEW)

Reuters

Dara Torres waves as she carries her daughter Tessa after winning the Women's 100m freestyle and qualifying for her fifth Olympic games at the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials in Omaha, Nebraska, July 4, 2008 REUTERS/Christinne Muschi (UNITED STATES) (BEIJING OLYMPICS 2008 PREVIEW)

Reuters

Dara Torres places her medal around her daughter Tessa after winning the Women's 100m freestyle and qualifying for her fifth Olympic games at the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials in Omaha, Nebraska, July 4, 2008 REUTERS/Christinne Muschi (UNITED STATES) (BEIJING OLYMPICS 2008 PREVIEW)

Reuters

OMAHA, NE - JULY 04: (L-R) Natalie Coughlin, Emily Silver, Dara Torres and Lacey Nymeyer celebrate after the final of the 100 meter freestyle during the U.S. Swimming Olympic Trials on July 4, 2008 at the Qwest Center in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Donald Miralle/Getty Images)

Getty Images

OMAHA, NE - JULY 04: Dara Torres, top, touches the wall ahead of Natalie Coughlin, bottom, in the final of the 100 meter freestyle during the U.S. Swimming Olympic Trials on July 4, 2008 at the Qwest Center in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Donald Miralle/Getty Images)

Getty Images

OMAHA, NE - JULY 04: Dara Torres holds daughter Tessa in the awards ceremony for the 100 meter freestyle during the U.S. Swimming Olympic Trials on July 4, 2008 at the Qwest Center in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Getty Images

OMAHA, NE - JULY 04: Dara Torres waves to the crowd after winning the final of the 100 meter freestyle and qualifying for her fifth Olympic team during the U.S. Swimming Olympic Trials on July 4, 2008 at the Qwest Center in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Getty Images

Dara Torres waves the US flag after winning the women's 100-meter freestyle final at the US Olympic swimming trials in Omaha, Neb., Friday, July 4, 2008. Torres, 41, qualified for her fifth Olympics. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)

7-05-2008 @ 2:37PM

gewurztraminer said...

"It shouldn't even be possible for a woman in her 40s."

I wasn't aware Mr. Forde has degrees in physiology (or gerontology since he obviously believes 40 is ancient.)

7-10-2008 @ 11:55PM

Josh Shepherd said...

40 is ancient in sports. I swam Division 1 NCAA and made olympic trial cuts. 40 isn't just ancient in swimming, 40 years old and doing that without cheating is like a team of midgets beating the Celtics in basketball this past year. She cheated. I wished she didn't too.

7-05-2008 @ 2:48PM

mj said...

Come on, Forde has a point. We have more than 100 YEARS of history here. There are very few cases where older athletes are competitive in these types of speed-based athletic events, let alone dominant and record-breaking.

It's very well established that the human body does not improve with age.

How many 40 year old sprinters have we had on land - let alone 40 year olds with better times than their youth?

I know you guys will pick on ESPN at every opportunity, but be realistic. There isn't a sports fan with a brain cell left that believes older athletes can outperform their younger selves naturally.

How much smoke do you need to know there's fire?

7-05-2008 @ 3:49PM

Orange Chuck said...

I wonder if Forde knows what liabel and defamation of character is(then again, I hope I spelled that right)? Without substantial proof, he just risked his lively hood and reputation on his assumption. By the way, just because you don't think it can happen naturally does not mean it can't, it means you think you have a subject for a controversial article and ESPN loves that. And this is not ESPN bashing, well not completely, its wonder why these people can take a shot at someone like this with no care for the athlete and no proof that if brought up in a court of law or even a court of common sense could defend his view, its simply assuming and obviously he knows what happens when you assume and he is one.

7-10-2008 @ 11:59PM

I swam competitive for 19 years. I swam Division 1 and I made olympic trial cuts. I swam with at some time or another just about every athlete on the US swim teams. Not only is Forde's livelyhood not even remotely at risk, I can tell you based on my profession as a Doctor and specialist in sports medicine that I am 80 % or more sure that she didn't perform at that level on her own. I wish it wasn't the case, but swimming is one of the most taxing sports on the body and depreciation takes place more severely.

7-05-2008 @ 4:21PM

Lori Godin said...

Oh-so it is alright for football players, baseball players and some fighters to be at the top of their game at this time in their lives. Obviously Mr Forde is either having an issue with the fact that this was achieved by a woman, or he is living in the dark ages, when forty was maybe considered old.
Well Dara, my husband and I have been rooting for you for years, and following your comeback. Best of luck and BRING HOME THE GOLD.

7-05-2008 @ 4:36PM

Gern Wormstead said...

It's the first thing I thought of when I heard she had made her 5th Olympic team. It makes me think of the East Germans in the 80's. She's a cheater in my book.

7-05-2008 @ 5:03PM

charles said...

if u dont have any evidences shut up and stop hating no one ever said any thing about nolan ryan being able to throw 90mph fastball at 40

No one questioned Nolan Ryan at 40 because 90MPH was significantly lower than he pitched in his 20's. Nice try though

7-05-2008 @ 5:12PM

chris said...

Just because some one has done the miraculous does not mean they are cheating. I remain unconvinced that Torres is cheating because she does not have the physical indica of steroid usage. Where is the bubble head, the shoulder cut, the Barry Bonds look?

Lets wait for the test results before we convict Torres based on supposition,innuendo and rhetorical questions. Forde asks rhetorical questions in his article because he does not have a shred of proof.

7-11-2008 @ 12:00AM

Chris,

I swam for 19 years and made the US Olympic Trials. I am now a doctor and I specialize in sports medicine. I can sent you dozens of books and articles as to why she didn't do what she did by herself. I am more than 90 % sure she cheated and I do not look forward to the official test results. Women peak before men and even earlier in swimming. Sorry.

7-05-2008 @ 9:45PM

Kurt said...

Pat Ford needs steroids to get up out of bed in the morning and have his brain work.

7-05-2008 @ 5:46PM

nickstoli said...

Let's be honest, he has a point. Can he write only what he KNOWS, not what he THINKS?

7-05-2008 @ 6:24PM

I think it would be wise to remember that Mr. Forde is in the entertainment industry and he is attempting to generate traffic on his web site(we used to say sell newspapers). I do not think he has a point other than to splash a headline accusing a public figure of cheating to that end.

Had he wanted to do some investigation he might have done us all a favor by requesting the test results from the USOC. He could then have written that he had requested the results and then we would be applauding his attempt to uncover the truth. But right now, from my perspective,he has taken a shot at Ms. Torres based on nothing more than what he "thinks".

I "think" he should do his job better and quit slandering people without at least some proof.

By the way, I do not discount the possibility that she cheated. I write because Mr. Forde has not done his job very well and I am unhappy that serious allegations have been made with no proof.

Lets ask the Duke lacrosse team what they think about allegations with no proof.

7-05-2008 @ 7:35PM

cannon510 said...

Orange Chuck you need to go back to law school. Defamation or libel actions are restrained by 1st Amendment considerations. In addition, she's a public figure, so there's a different standard involved - malice instead of negligence.

7-05-2008 @ 7:42PM

Charles said...

Barry Bonds...baseball age 43...guilty only in the media..Jamie Moyer...baseball 45...Julio Franco..baseball 49...Motumbo..basketball 41....Kevin Willis...basketball 44..Jeff Hartwig..pole vault 2008 olympic squad. Susan von der Lippe...swimmer 42 2008 olympic trials. Mother nature has given sports amazing atheletes for many many year, why not just leave it at that.

7-05-2008 @ 9:06PM

Doug said...

I'm waiting for the evidence that Lance Armstrong has eluded for so long. Same arguments as put forth in this article.

7-05-2008 @ 8:17PM

Anna said...

Are you kidding?!! This women is in fantastic shape.. looks like she could easily swim that fast! Geeeezzzzzzz! She has the body of a young male. Cudo's for winning!