Torres won’t swim 100 freestyle

Dara Torres had been leaning against swimming in both the 50-meter and 100-meter freestyle at the Summer Games. She made it official in Omaha on Monday, dropping the 100 from her Beijing program.

The beneficiary of her decision was Lacey Nymeyer, who finished third in the 100 free behind Torres and Natalie Coughlin, and now moves into the second slot.

Relays became a factor in the decision. Torres was eager to participate in the 400 freestyle relay as well as the 400 medley relay. She was facing perhaps as many as three preliminary and final swims in the 100 free, and three more in the 50 free.

That, and the relays, would have been too much, even for the ageless Torres, who is 41.

These were her first Olympic trials in eight years, and Torres became the story in Omaha, if not the U.S., by winning the 100 free and 50 free, the latter in a U.S. record time Sunday night.

-- Lisa Dillman

Ronaldinho and Robinho will try to lead Brazil to its first Olympic gold medal in soccer at the Beijing Games.

Ronaldinho, the Barcelona superstar, Robinho, who plays for Real Madrid, and 16 other players were picked Monday, 15 days before the squad is scheduled to begin its preparation for the tournament.

Five-time World Cup champion Brazil has never won a gold medal. It won the silver medal twice, in 1984 in Los Angeles and 1988 in Seoul.

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Juliana, one-half of the top women’s beach volleyball team from powerhouse Brazil and the third-ranked team in the world, injured her right knee and will not play again before the Olympics, her press agent, Marcio, said.

Although surgery on a ligament was recommended, she will continue with more conservative treatment instead in hopes of being able to play in Beijing.

The 24-year-old athlete was injured at the Grand Slam event in Paris last month.