Nymeyer 1st Mormon to win medal in 2008 Olympics

Associated Press
Published: Sunday, Aug. 10, 2008

BEIJING -- The Dutch won the 400-meter freestyle relay with an Olympic-record time of 3:33.76, beating the old mark of 3:35.94 set four years ago by Australia.

Natalie Coughlin, adding to the five medals she won in Athens, took the leadoff leg for the Americans, and was followed by Lacey Nymeyer, Kara Lynn Joyce and Dara Torres.


Women's 4x100-meter freestyle relay silver-medal winners are, from left, Natalie Coughlin, Kara Lynn Joyce, Lacey Nymeyer and Dara Torres. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Nymeyer, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, resides in Tuscon, Ariz. In the relay final, she swam her 100-meter leg in 53.91 seconds, the second-fastest leg among the U.S. swimmers.

Torres picked up the 10th medal of an Olympic career that just won't end. She dove in the water too far behind to catch the winning team from the Netherlands, but had no complaints after capping an improbable comeback by climbing the medal stand with three teammates -- all in their 20s and probably younger than the old-fashioned goggles Torres was wearing.

Torres is the oldest swimmer in U.S. Olympic history and an inspiration to middle-agers everywhere with her return to the pool, just two years after having a child.

She swam the second-fastest 100 of anyone in the finals. The Americans were second in 3:34.33, while the Australians took bronze in 3:35.05.

Swimming in her record fifth Olympics, Torres picked up her 10th medal -- four golds, two silvers and four bronzes.

"Everyone did a great job and we're really happy with silver because I don't think we were even expecting that," said Torres, who climbed from the water with a big smile, waved to the crowd and then joined the rest of the team for a group hug.

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