US veteran Torres eyes London 2012

American swimmer Dara Torres marks her return to the pool this weekend at the Missouri Grand Prix after having been away from the sport for more than a year and half because of knee surgery.

Torres, who won three silver medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics at age 41, will swim in the 50 metre freestyle event today.

Torres has an eye on competing in the 2012 Summer Olympics when she would be 45 and if successful it would make her the oldest Olympic swimmer ever.

“My intention is to go to the trials and to try to make another Olympic team. That’s why I am doing this,” she was quoted by USA Today newspaper as saying.

She underwent left knee reconstruction surgery in October 2009 which consisted of re-centreing her knee cap and restoring damaged cartilage.

Torres competed in five Olympic Games, winning 12 medals over 24 years (1984-2008) but never an individual gold.

“I don’t feel like I have much to prove anymore,” she told USA Today.

“I don’t want to be one of those athletes at the top of their game and then just go downhill real quick,” she said.

“It is a very fine line of trying to see where my limits are. If that starts to happen before the trials, I will most likely stop.”