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U.S. International Team Trials: Claire Curzan .01 off American Record in 50 Fly
A little home cooking by Claire Curzan nearly turned into an American record. At least it was enough for yet another trip to Worlds for the talented teen.
Curzan won the women’s 50 butterfly at U.S. International Team Trials, chugging down the stretch to go 25.49 seconds. She missed taking down Kelsi Dahlia’s American record by just .01 seconds. Dahlia set that mark in 2017 (as Kelsi Worrell) and tied it in 2018.
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For the North Carolina native and Olympian from TAC Titans, Wednesday’s setting felt like home. And Curzan knew what to do with it.
“It just seems to be more and more people coming,” Curzan said. “I know my family is coming and then family friends and all these different people. It’s always fun to look up in the stands and see them going crazy, because that’s what they do.”
Curzan has now qualified in a second event this week, after finishing second to Torri Huske in the 100 free on Tuesday. She admitted being a tad surprised by that, with a relay spot for a top-four finish the more realistic goal.
But two Worlds berths alleviates any pressure she might have felt.
“I think it’s great to have the pressure off and be able to enjoy the rest of the meet now that I’ve already made it,” Curzan said. “Just hopefully have some fun, and I’d love to see some other people qualify.”
Curzan’s time is the second-fastest in the world in 2022, trailing only the 25.05 of Sarah Sjostrom. Curzan won a bronze medal in the short-course event in 2021, setting the American and World Junior record in 24.55.
In a sentence we’re likely to repeat many times in the years to come, it was a 1-2 for Curzan and Huske, the other teen Olympian going 25.68. That’s the fifth-fastest time in the world this year. Ahead of her was Dahlia in prelims at 25.65. Dahlia finished third in finals with a 25.71. Gretchen Walsh of Virginia (25.97) and Sarah Thompson (26.06) were fourth and fifth, respectively, with Natalie Hinds in sixth in 26.18.
