U.S. International Team Trials: Torri Huske, Claire Curzan Scorch Past Veterans in 100 Freestyle
One of the most anticipated races of the USA Swimming International Team Trials was the women’s 100-meter freestyle. That anticipation built even more after prelims when seven Olympians and a World Championships medalist made the final with two individual, plus relay spots on the line in the final.
Seeds 2-5 were within four hundredths of a second during prelims, leading to an extremely fast and close race.
The young guns proved to be the fastest in the pool at the International Team Trials as Stanford freshman Torri Huske won the event in 53.35, just ahead of high school phenom Claire Curzan (53.58). Both teens made the Olympic team in the 100 butterfly and now make the Worlds team together.
The fact that Huske and Curzan have now qualified for two international teams in their teen years reaffirms the fact that they pillars of USA Swimming’s future. And more might come later in the week, as both women have full schedules with additional qualifying opportunities.
“I was just trying to work on my back half. Normally that is my weak point. I was trying to take it out relaxed and then just hammer home the legs on the second half,” Huske said.
Huske certainly benefitted from her finish, as she was fourth at the midway point of the race, but gradually moved up on the field over the final 50 meters. Huske closed in 27.58, which was the fastest back-half split by .22. Huske and Curzan will be teammates at Stanford in the future, as Curzan is slated to join the Cardinal next year for her freshman campaign.
The two automatic relay spots went to Erika Brown, who finished third in 53.59, and Natalie Hinds, who finished fourth in 53.65 at the U.S. International Team Trials. Both swimmers were on this relay at the Tokyo Olympics. The alternate/prelims relay spots (as long as the team cap allows) went to Kate Douglass, who finished fifth in 53.99, and former Louisville national champion Mallory Comerford, who finished sixth in 54.09.
Seventh was Abbey Weitzeil, who finished in 54.41, while Olivia Smoliga was eighth in 54.55. Weitzeil was an Olympian in the event in Tokyo, where she advanced to the final and finished eighth.
Here are all the links you need for coverage of the USA Swimming International Team Trials:
