BEIJING — Dara Torres defied age again as the 41-year-old anchored the U.S. to a silver medal in the 400-meter freestyle relay this morning.
The oldest American on an Olympic swim team had an anchor leg of 52.44 to hold off Australia with a time of 3:34.33. Netherlands, the world record-holder, won in 3:33.76.
“The water doesn’t know how old you are,” said Torres, who won her 10th medal in five Olympics.
The U.S. stood third after legs by Natalie Coughlin and Lacey Nymeyer, but Kara Lynn Joyce overtook fading Germany for second and Torres brought it home.
“I remember the first time I raced against her,” Netherlands anchor leg Marleen Veldhuis said of their race in Berlin last year. “I had to swim a world record to beat her.”
Elsewhere on the first day of swimming’s medal races, Australia’s Stephanie Rice took the world record back from American Katie Hoff in the 400 individual medley, but Hoff still won her first Olympic medal with a bronze.
Rice, whose record 4:31.46 Hoff broke at the Olympic Trials, won in 4:29.45 to beat South Africa’s silver medalist Kirsty Coventry (4:29.89). Hoff’s 4:31.71 was her second-fastest time. “I am a little tired but I am happy to get my first ever Olympic medal,” Hoff said.
One of the biggest shockers was Australia’s Grant Hackett. Owning the top 400 freestyle time in the world this year, he finished only sixth. Taehwan Park of South Korea won in 3:41.86, with American Larsen Jensen taking the bronze in 3:42.78.
Christine Magnuson set an American record in the 100 butterfly semifinals in 57.08, and Mark Gangloff and Brendan Hansen both qualified for Monday’s 100 breaststroke final.
