It's been a long-recognized truth that elite competitive swimmers age about as well as a pail of milk on a warm summer day. Consider: Mark Spitz was 22 when he won seven gold medals at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, then he promptly (and smartly) retired, only to be lured back 20 years later in an outlandish, unsuccessful bid to earn a spot at the Barcelona Games. Janet Evans, 17 when she earned her first three Olympic golds at the 1988 games in Seoul, limped into retirement after coming up short at the 1996 Atlanta Games. And last November, Australian swimming icon Ian Thorpe, who won three golds at the the 2000 Sydney Olympics at age 17, officially retired at the rickety age of 24.

So what are we supposed to make of Hawai'i Swimming Hall of Famer John Flanagan, who at age 31 has come out of retirement in hopes of competing in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing?

Flanagan, co-head coach of the Kamehameha Swim Team, says he once considered age 30 hopelessly over the hill in the youth-driven sport. But his studies as a master's degree candidate in exercise physiology and the evidence offered up by his own well-preserved physique now has him convinced that he has a shot to compete in the Games' first open-water distance swimming competition, two years from now.

Whether he makes it or not, Flanagan says he hopes his attempt will help to motivate people to commit to physical fitness as a lifetime project.

"I want to set a good example for my wife and family and the kids I coach," he says. "I'd encourage everyone to think about their opportunities. There is a lot more length to athletic careers than we once believed. If you stay fit, you can perform well for a lot of years."

Reach Michael Tsai at mtsai@honoluluadvertiser.com.