LOS ANGELES — Older means wiser. It doesn’t have to mean slower or beatable.
Natalie Coughlin, Kristin Armstrong and several other female Olympians are turning ideas about how long an elite career can last upside down. Taking advantage of improvements in training and nutrition, these women in their 30s and 40s are proving that as long as the mind is willing, the body can follow.
“People ask me about my age all the time. They think, ‘How are you doing this? Physically, can you keep up?’” said Armstrong, who will turn 43 on Aug. 11, a day after she hopes to challenge for her third consecutive Olympic gold medal in the women’s cycling time trial.