BEIJING — In the ready room before the 50-meter freestyle, Dara Torres was a chatterbox, as usual. Everyone was nervous but she broke the tension by talking about childbirth.

Torres, you see, isn't just a five-time Olympian who won her 11th and 12th medals today at the Water Cube. She is a 41-year-old mother.

Torres, the oldest Olympic swimmer in history, proved her agelessness by winning silver medals in the 400-meter medley relay and the 50-meter freestyle.

Germany's Britta Steffen nipped Torres at the wall in the 50 free. The middle-aged American smiled, her head dropping back, when she saw a time of 24.07 — just behind Steffen's winning effort of 24.06. Completing a race for all ages, 16-year-old Australian Cate Campbell claimed the bronze in 24.17.

Torres nearly pulled out a victory for the U.S. in the relay, making up ground on world record-holder Lisbeth Trickett before Trickett edged away in the last 20 meters.

"I'm competitive so I wanted to win gold in the 50," Torres said. "I gave it my best shot and I'm thinking maybe I shouldn't have filed my nails last night."

Australia's women — Emily Seebohm, Leisel Jones, Jess Schipper and Trickett — took the gold with a world record of 3:52.69. The Americans claimed silver with the second-fastest time in history, 3:53.30, while China took the bronze.