Torres has competed in every Summer Olympic Games since 1988 with the exception of 1996 and 2004. Torres had told news Saturday that she was delighted with her semi-finals finish and still had some left in her. But tonight, she said she simply could muster enough to get to second.

Torres felt a super slow start and lackluster finish were to blame. “I can leave this knowing I gave it everything I possibly could,” she told NBC News tonight. “That’s the best I could do.”

In final results, Jessica Hardy won the event with a time of 24.50. Kara Lynn Joyce finished second, narrowly beating Christine Magnuson in third.

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Dara had only opted to enter the 50 free in these Trials. Torres has undergone several surgeries over the year.

In 2007, he doctor told news “Dara had surgery … to remove bone spurs and repair a partial tear in her rotator cuff. She was doing quite well, but over time she developed this degenerative arthritis problem in the AC joint.” Dara had suffered a distal clavicle resection since the 2000 Olympics.

Dara Torres Pictures Set 2
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In announcing her return to swimming in 2010, she told news in 2010 “If Jack Nicklaus can win a Masters at 46 and Nolan Ryan can pitch a no-hitter at 44, why can’t a 41-year-old mom compete in the Olympics? I had the experience. I knew what to expect. I knew how to handle certain situations and young kids don’t have that.”