U.S. International Team Trials: Torri Huske Posts 57.03 in 100 Fly Prelims; Claire Curzan Second
The four principle contenders for the women’s 100 butterfly title at the U.S. International Team Trials all comfortably qualified for the championship final and a chance to battle for spots at this summer’s World Championships in Budapest. The leader in prelims was Torri Huske, the American-record holder in the event and the fourth-place finisher in the event at the Tokyo Olympics. Huske posted a time of 57.03, about a second-and-a-half short of her national record of 55.66.
Claire Curzan, who joined Huske in representing the U.S. in Tokyo, won her heat to qualify second in 57.57, while short course meters world-record holder Kelsi Dahlia placed third in 57.84. Virginia’s Kate Douglass took fourth in 58.14.
Curzan is the only swimmer in the U.S. to break 57 so far this year as she swam a 56.89 in the event at the TYR Pro Swim Series in Westmont, Ill., in early March. Curzan also broke the American record in the 100-yard fly in February at her high school state championship meet, but at the NCAA Championships in March, Douglass beat Curzan’s record in claiming the national title while Huske also went under the old mark.
Huske, Curzan, Dahlia and Douglass rank first, third, fourth and fifth all-time among Americans in this event, with 2012 Olympic gold medalist Dana Vollmer the only other swimmer in that mix. It’s worth noting that Dahlia is the only swimmer of the group who has not yet qualified for the World Championships. Huske previously won the 100 freestyle while Curzan took second and then captured first place in the 50 fly, while Douglass was the second-place finisher in the 200 breaststroke.
Gabi Albiero, who like Dahlia trains at Louisville, finished fifth in prelims in 58.63, and the other A-finalists will include Natalie Hinds (58.66), Beata Nelson (58.75) and Kylee Alons (59.01).
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