Natalie Coughlin has a new view of the Summer Olympics, and she loves it.

The 12-time medalist is watching the Games from her Lafayette home instead of churning water at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium.

Coughlin, 33, is missing her first Games since 2004.

“You would think it would be really weird for me,” Coughlin said.

The former Cal great quickly dismissed the notion of feeling bad after failing to qualify for the Rio Games earlier this summer.

“I’m kind of getting to enjoy the Summer Olympics without all the stress,” said Coughlin, who plans to continue her professional swim career.

It’s the first time the star of the Beijing Games has had a chance to watch an Olympics since 1996. Coughlin was too brokenhearted to follow the action in Sydney in 2000 after her body broke down before the trials.

This summer has been almost as frustrating.

“The hardest part is not knowing what went wrong this year,” she said. “Last year I was so strong and getting lifetime bests.”

By January, Coughlin began feeling fatigued and lost her magic.

“People are quick to say, ‘Well you’re 33,’ ” she said. “I was 32 last year” and swimming strong enough to make the U.S. team in perhaps two events.

The Speedo-sponsored swimmer pretty much has stayed out of the pool at Berkeley these days in favor of running. Coughlin took only three days off after the trials ended in early July.

She is doing a nightly program with NBC Bay Area to cover the Games and texting her training partners regularly.

Coughlin is not surprised the Golden Bears swimmers are excelling in Rio after training with the men the past four years.

Ryan Murphy swept both backstroke races, Nathan Adrian won a bronze medal in the 100 freestyle and Josh Prenot won a silver medal in the 200 breaststroke. The swimming portion of the Olympics ends Saturday.

“When I started they go so fast in practice, it’s insane,” Coughlin said of the training partners. “Fake race day I’m always blown away.”

Coughlin is able to enjoy time away from Rio considering all she has accomplished: the first American woman to win six medals in one Olympics and the first woman to win the 100-meter backstroke in consecutive Games.

Coughlin doesn’t expect to enter showcase events again such as the world championships or the Olympics. But she loves racing international meets. Next up is an October sprint event in Tahiti.

“I’m not bitter,” Coughlin said about the way the Olympic trials went.

“I’ve loved the past few years so much,” she added. “I love my teammates so much. I love working for a purpose.”

Coughlin didn’t feel that way a decade ago when chasing world records and gold medals.

“It ate away at me after a while,” Coughlin said.

She’s still as competitive as ever .

“It’s just not life or death with me anymore,” Coughlin added.

Contact Elliott Almond at 408-920-5865. Follow Elliott Almond on Twitter at Twitter.com/ElliottAlmond.