A great story not only because she’ll be representing the United States abroad, but because she’s a 41-year-old mother who remains able to beat her younger competitors.

“The comeback kind of blew me away when she . . . was so successful last summer, breaking the American record. Once she did that, I knew she was going to make the team,” Schubert said

That was at Indianapolis in August, when Torres lowered the mark in the 50 freestyle. The rest of the world caught up to Schubert’s intuition at the U.S. Olympic swimming trials here when Torres won the 100 freestyle Friday.

She then took it a stroke or two beyond that Sunday, setting herself up as a viable individual medal contender in Beijing by winning the 50 freestyle on the last day of the trials, going 24.25 seconds, lowering her own U.S. record. Jessica Hardy of Long Beach was second in 24.82.

“I don’t think it’s really sunk in yet,” Torres said. “I know I’ve made it, but I haven’t read any articles or seen anything on TV. I’ve been watching ‘Seinfeld’ and ‘Sex and the City.’ “

Good for her.