while Jasmin Glaesser of Coquitlam, B.C., was third in 40:33. ' ' '

OMAHA, Neb. -- Natalie Coughlin wore charcoal-gray University of California warm-ups Friday to announce she was scratching the 50-meter freestyle and bowing out of what probably is her last U.S. Olympic trials. She faced a small group of reporters sitting upright with her usual elegant carriage, holding a microphone, her hair pulled back into a tight bun. The wide, striking blue eyes that have gazed out of a thousand photo shoots were subdued and subtly ringed with the smoky tinge that comes from lack of sleep.She wasnt going to retire, not on this note, not at this meet where anything but a top-two finish is a failure. She didnt want condolences. She just wants to go home.Its the way people look at you, Coughlin said afterward. The pity. The way people avoid you when you have a bad meet at this meet. Its tough.This meet, with its depth chart unlike any in the world, its drama and its cruelty -- the 33-year-old Coughlin has experienced it in every way an athlete can. She fell short as a teenager coming off an injury in 2000. She ruled the 100-meter backstroke here in 2004 and 2008 and went on to win back-to-back Olympic gold medals in her signature event in Athens and Beijing.Coughlin made the team as a relay swimmer in 2012, which for someone with her bona fides was a little like dangling from the team helicopter with a rope ladder. She swam in the morning preliminaries in London and wasnt chosen for the evening final, a decision made by her longtime Cal mentor and Olympic head coach Teri McKeever, who delivered her bronze medal privately in the Olympic Village.Then on the cusp of 30, Coughlin knew many would write her off. She wrote a new script for herself instead, staying at Cal but switching lanes and training with the men under Dave Durden.That slight yet momentous shift reinvigorated her. Most important, it enabled her to continue tending to her garden and chicken coop on two-thirds of an acre in nearby Lafayette at the home she shares with husband Ethan Hall and their two dogs.?I dont look at the past four years as wasted time or anything, said Coughlin, who swam a lifetime best in the 50 freestyle at last years Pan American Games in Toronto, the consolation prize after she was unable to qualify for world championships. Im really happy with what I was able to accomplish the past few years, but the momentum for whatever reason couldnt move forward.This week, Coughlin finished eighth in the 100 backstroke and didnt qualify for the 100 freestyle final. She swam in outside lanes and knew that for practical purposes, she wasnt in the same area code as the women who would win. I just had to look at it realistically, she said. I wasnt going to have a best time, I would rather cheer on my friends and teammates than try and swim a 50 free and continue the heartbreak for myself.Ive definitely been off for a few months. I cant put my finger on it. Ive been really tired and not been able to recover or get out of the hole. I really dont know why. Its not for lack of working hard. Sometimes it just doesnt work out.Coughlin steps out of the blocks at trials with 12 Olympic medals, tying her with Dara Torres and Jenny Thompson for the most of any female swimmer in history. She has a brace of solid sponsors, a brand synonymous with holistic fitness, and marketing power that will live on past her racing years. I dont see the point of saying its over when itll always be there, Coughlin said of her lifelong passion, with the defiance -- or perhaps constructive denial -- of someone who has been immersed since she was 6 years old.She wont have a problem feeding herself whenever she does decide to retire. But like any athlete who has tasted dominance, Coughlin will have to figure out how to nourish her competitive soul.Adidas NMD Shoes Cheap . Ryan Garbutt had a goal and two assists as Dallas snapped a six-game losing streak with a 5-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night. Adidas NMD Clearance Sale . The showiest items on Calgarys lot were forwards Mike Cammalleri and Lee Stempniak. Both will be unrestricted free agents this summer. http://www.clearancenmd.com/ . This should be celebrated because it will not always be this way. With the amount of money given to players by their clubs these days, it is a wonder that so many of those teams allow the sport to continue to take away many of their assets so they can play for a different team in the middle of their season. Adidas NMD Sale . Speaking to the Chicago Tribune at baseballs Winter Meetings in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, Boras called the former home of the Expos a "tremendous environment" for baseball. Clearance Adidas NMD . The team also announced Tuesday that the Braves will wear a commemorative patch on the right sleeve during the season. The patch, shaped like home plate, carries the number 715, Aarons autograph and a "40th Anniversary" banner.ST-GEORGES, Que. -- Joelle Numainville of Laval, Que., won the womens time trial Thursday at the Canadian road cycling championships. Numainville completed the hilly 27-kilometre course in a time of 39 minutes 54 seconds. "Even with tired legs, I was able too make it on the podium," Numainville said.dddddddddddd "I was confident, but to win, you still need to be ready on race day." Anika Todd of Victoria was second in 40:14, while Jasmin Glaesser of Coquitlam, B.C., was third in 40:33. ' ' '