American swimmer Dara Torres is 41 year old and nine times Olympic champion. At Olympics 2008 she took the silver medal in 4×100 meter relay swimming.

Torres is included in a small group of acting sports elite, which continues performing in the age of 40 years and more.  Carlos Lopez, a marathon runner from Portugal, won a gold Olympic medal  being 37 years. Jack Foster from New Zealand was 40 years, when he represented his country at Munich and Montreal Olympics in 1972 and 1976. A 49-year-old Frenchwoman Jeannie Longo-Chiprelli, an Olympic champion of Atlanta 1996, required just a few seconds to enter the three leaders on her seventh Olympics in Beijing. She was quicker than many of those who have not yet been born when she was a champion.

Each of these cases are rather an exception than a rule, and an average age of current Olympic team members is 24-26 years. Why even the best athletes leave big sport with age and others manage to stay?

Joyner responds: «Maximum oxygen uptake begins to decrease after the age of thirty. But well-trained athletes may delay the time before the end of the fourth ten, or even the beginning of the fifth. Normal people lose an average of 1% of maximum oxygen uptake a year. But those who train constantly lose only 0.5% a year». One should add that Dara Torres, according to sports commentators, is also a master of sprint, in other words, her success is based not only on capacity of lungs, but largely on strength of muscles.

An American swimming team met with reporters in Beijing. The greatest interest was generated by Michael Phelps and Dara Torres. For the four-time Olympic champion Torres Games in Beijing will be five in her career. She is 41 years old.

Dara Torres: I am asked this question so often! And I really want to be here and show that age, years - are just a number. Being here competing for the award brings a very unusual feeling. I’m here already managed to distribute so many autographs  - not just kids, but also adults who approach and say my example inspires them. 40-year olds say they will be my desperate fans. It’s funny, if someone else will follow in my wake  - we must show there is life in the old dog yet.

_Further a 12-time Olympic medalist Dara Torres tried her hand at a new field - a 41-year-old swimmer, who won three silver medals at the Beijing Olympics, took part in designer’s Charles Nolan fashion show, during New York Fashion Week.

A sportswoman came to the podium twice: in a white-blue striped sleeveless top and dark blue shorts with a two-year daughter, Tessa and later -in a black ruched faux dress from jersey and silk taffeta.

«There was one girl model, which, in her own words, was very nervous, and I told her participation in the Olympic swim irritates more», - said Dara. Nevertheless, athlete was still worrying - she was afraid to stumble on the catwalk. «I’m not used to walk on high heels, I always wear shoes with flat sole», - she said.

According to Nolan, Dara Torres is ideally suited to demonstrate his models. «She served as a source of inspiration to me, - says the designer. – One case is to look good at 41 years, and another - enter the Olympic team, compete with 16-year-olds and win a silver medal».