U.S. Nationals: Natalie Hinds Delivers Composed Swim for 100 Free Crown
If you had to describe what a veteran swim in the women’s 100 freestyle might look like, Natalie Hinds delivered the blueprint Tuesday night.
Focused on her own race. Executing her own plan, regardless of a speedy, outside-lane challenge. And a personal-best time to boot. That added up to a national title for the Olympian on the first night of Phillips 66 Nationals Tuesday night in Irvine.
Hinds was out quickly and weathered a charge by Gretchen Walsh to win the national title in 53.53 seconds, a personal best for the 28-year-old training with Gator Swim Club in Florida.
Hinds did what she wanted in the first 50, out in 25.58 seconds. That was second quickest at the turn thanks to Walsh, blasting a 25.48 in Lane 1. But Hinds was where she needed to be and delivered the fastest final 50 in the field in 27.95 to get the win.
“Gretchen’s got so much speed, but I really tried to focus on myself,” Hinds said on the NBC broadcast. “I knew I could probably be out first at the 50, and it’s really all about focusing on the second 50 and getting to the wall that last 15.”
Hinds trims .02 off her personal-best time. The best time reinforces why Hinds came back to the sport after he she finished no better than 40th at 2016 Olympics Trials, believing she had more to give and hadn’t yet reached her potential. The Midland, Texas, native has done that at every turn, earning a bronze medal with the 400 free relay at the Tokyo Olympics, then bronze in the 400 free and gold in the 400 medley relays at the World Championships in Budapest this summer.
“It’s been kind of a long season,” Hinds said. “Trials was back in April. It’s just been trying to be in it for a really long time mentally, and I’m really proud of myself for that swim.”
Walsh snuck into the final in seventh in the morning but showed her speed in the evening. Third was Gabi Albiero of Louisville in 54.39, the same place she finished in the morning. That bumped Mallory Comerford from second in the morning to fourth place in 54.51. Erika Pelaez, the 16-year-old, dropped another 54.6 to take seventh in 54.69.
Amy Fulmer won the B final in 54.57, the 21-year-old setting a best time by nearly a second. Her time would’ve tied Lillie Nordmann for fifth in the A final. Beata Nelson wasn’t far behind in 54.77.
In miniature, the motivation that drove Hinds to the pool in 2018 is what had her in the water Tuesday. She said she vacillated on whether to swim in Irvine given the workload of the year. A bout of COVID after Worlds didn’t help, though she was coming off a team captaincy in Budapest that she called, “one of the biggest honors that I’ve had swimming for Team USA and it was one of my long-term goals.” But she felt she could still accomplish more this season.
That freed her of some of the expectations in Irvine. With a mindset to let it ride and see what happens, Hinds clearly excelled.
“I wasn’t going to come to Nationals, then I was, then I wasn’t,” Hinds said. “I just felt like at Worlds, I really didn’t’ swim to the best of my abilities, to my levels. I wanted to come to nationals also because, I want to take advantage of every opportunity I have before my swim career is over. This is an interesting meet because it’s been such a long season. This is a meet where you can come here and – not to be cringey – but actually have fun in the sun. And it’s one of those meets where I can have fun with my teammates and a little less pressure but still swim fast.”
