Following reconstructive surgery of one of her knees, she began training with the goal of competing in the 2012 Summer Olympics. At the 2012 United States Olympic Trials, she placed fourth in the finals of the 50-meter freestyle, 0.32 of a second behind the winner, Jessica Hardy, and 0.09 of a second behind the second qualifier, Kara Lynn Joyce. Only the top-two finishers in each trials event qualified for the 2012 U.S. Olympic team, and as a result, Torres concluded her Olympic career. After the 2012 Trials, Torres announced her retirement from competitive swimming, concluding her career with 12 Olympic medals. Her Olympic career spanned 24 years from 1984 to 2008 and five Olympic Games (1984, 1988, 1992, 2000, 2008).