Omaha, NE (My Sportsbook) - Dara Torres held her two-year-old daughter Tessa while receiving a medal for finishing first in the 100-meter freestyle, something that was totally unexpected, but nevertheless a charming moment for swimming fans Friday night.

It's been 24 years since Torres appeared in her first Olympics, and now the 41-year-old is headed to her unprecedented fifth Summer Games after shocking the field and ultimately herself at the U.S. trials.

"I think tonight was all mental," Torres said. "When I warmed up this afternoon, I thought this was going to be about my head and my heart, because I definitely was beat up from the two swims yesterday."

Torres churned through the pool at the Qwest Center almost as if she were a teenager again, finishing the race in 53.78 seconds, barely ahead of American record-holder Natalie Coughlin (53.83).

"I was shocked when I touched the wall. I couldn't see the scoreboard," Torres said. "With my age and everything I said 'what does that say?' Then I heard the announcer and I could kind of see it blurry. They need to make those numbers a little bigger up there for people my age."

Torres has specialized in relays throughout her Olympic career, with all four of her gold medals of that variety. If she had finished in the top four she would've made the relay team, but a top-two effort secured a spot in the individual event.

"I didn't expect this in the 100. I was looking at third through sixth," Torres said. "I was going to be very content with a relay."

It's been an incredible Olympic run for Torres, winner of nine medals, starting with a relay gold in 1984 in her current home city of Los Angeles, and most recently capturing four medals in 2000 -- this after coming out of a seven-year retirement.

"I'm ecstatic, I can't believe it," Torres said. "It's sort of bittersweet for me because I made my fifth Olympic team, but I'm going to be away from my daughter for a month and that's going to be real hard emotionally. I'm happy I'm going to Beijing."

The song "American Woman" blared over the public address system the immediately after the race was over, with Torres getting out of the pool and then breaking down in tears.

"I started thinking about my father. He passed away 1 1/2 years ago," Torres said. "I hadn't told him I was making a comeback after I already started. I was thinking he was with me in that race. It kind of helped me at the end a bit. I was also thinking about my daughter and my family that was in the stands."

Michael Phelps, already the winner of four individual finals at these trials, referred to Torres as a sort-of mom for the U.S. team, something that made her smile.

"I would rather refer to it as a big sister to my teammates, although I am as old as some of their parents," Torres said. "It's nice to be able to be there for the kids if they have questions. They probably feel comfortable talking to me. I feel like I'm on their level on the one hand, but I have all this experience on the other hand that I'm maybe no on their level. I'll take that as a complement that Phelps refers to me as the mom there, but I don't know if the kids will think that."

CHANGE OF PLANS FOR BEARD

Amanda Beard is one step behind Torres. Beard qualified for her fourth Olympics by finishing second to Rebecca Soni in the 200-meter breaststroke Friday.

The gold medalist at this event at the 2004 Summer Games, the 26-year-old Beard has already won three medals in the 200 breaststroke, also donning a silver in 1996 and bronze in 2000.

"I knew I could make the team, but I knew it was a long shot," Beard said. "I came in here with not a lot of training under my belt, with not feeling 100 percent ready to go, with a little bit of aches and pains. Fortunately, it worked fine. My experience really helped me out."

Beard thought her making the Olympics was so far-fetched that she already had contingency plans in place, but now she'll have to go to Beijing.

"Now I have to get back into the pool and train again," the Irvine, CA native said. "I was planning a little trip up the (west) coast with my boyfriend, my dogs, some dirt bikes, some surfboards and an RV, but I guess I have to put that one the back burner. I did joke around with my boyfriend that if I make this Olympic team, I am going to buy myself an RV so the whole family can take trips together."

However, with the nothing-to-lose attitude, Beard pulled it off, but afterward believed she could go even faster than her time of 2 minutes, 25.13 seconds. After all, she holds the American record at 2:22.44.

"I definitely wanted to go a little faster tonight," Beard said. "I wasn't completely satisfied with my time personally, but compared to now, whatever. So for me I would really like to get back down to my American-record time or close to that. I think with a little more training over the next month that is not unrealistic."