The American is now on course to become one of the Cinderella stories at the Beijing Olympics where she hopes to compete at the age of 41.

She won't just be there to make up the numbers either, last summer, just 15 months after giving birth to her first child, she won her 14th title at the U.S nationals by winning the 100m freestyle event. Just three days later she then broke her American record in the 50m freestyle.

Better was to follow from Torres though, at a short course event in Berlin last November, she clocked the fourth fastest time in history in the 50m freestyle. She also broke the 100m American short course record at the same meet in the sixth fastest time ever.

Swimming is a sport traditionally dominated by the young which makes Torres's longevity all the more impressive.

She competed in her first Olympics in Los Angelus aged just 17 and was on the 4x100 m freestyle relay team that picked up gold.

She has four relay Olympic golds to her name in total, but in individual events the best she has ever managed is a bronze (she won three in Sydney).

In an intriguing subplot, one of her main competitors in Sydney could well be the Australian rising star of sprinting Cate Campbell who is just 15

It is remarkable to think that Campbell was only one month old when Torres was competing in her third Olympics in Barcelona.

Torres will still have to win through the tough Olympic trials to secure her spot in Beijing but she has proved in the last year that she still has the ability to compete at the top level.

Nobody would deny her once last chance to shine in Beijing.

Eurosport