World Championships: Torri Huske Overcomes Sickness, Difficult Start to Meet for 100 Freestyle Bronze
The Singapore World Championships have not gone as planned for Torri Huske, beginning with the moment she did not show up for her 100 butterfly preliminary race. The 22-year-old Stanford standout and the U.S. staff made the call to pull out of the event in which she won Olympic gold in upset fashion last year as Huske tried to bounce back from severe stomach illness.
The majority of American swimmers have struggled throughout the meet due to symptoms, and Huske has been among the most affected. Her anticipated eight-event program was immediately paired back as she skipped her signature event, and when did enter the water on the meet’s first night to anchor the Americans’ 400 freestyle relay, she was clearly swimming in a compromised state. Her butterfly leg in the U.S. mixed 400 medley relay was even more of a struggle.
But the American team has rallied all week, embracing an attitude of relentless positivity and toughness to make the best of their difficult circumstances. They have overcome to win 20 medals, the most of any country, and their five gold medals is tied with Australia for the most. Like so many of her teammates, Huske dug deep when she finally entered the pool for individual racing on day five. It paid off with a hard-earned bronze medal.
Torri Huske — Photo Courtesy: Emily Cameron
Huske was the only American swimmer racing in the 100 free, with the same illness forcing Gretchen Walsh to pull out. She did what was required to advance through the 100 free prelims, clocking 53.99 for 11th place. In the semifinal round, Huske jumped on the pace right away, even if she lacked the physical ability to finish like she usually does. The time of 53.21 was enough to get her to the final in fourth position.
In the final, up against past world champions Mollie O’Callaghan of Australia and Marrit Steenbergen of the Netherlands, Huske raced tough as always. She was a tenth up on the field at the halfway point and did not yield, even as her rivals bore down. By the closing meters, Steenbergen had broken into the lead with O’Callaghan just behind, and Huske had to do everything in her power to hold onto bronze-medal position.
Milou van Wijk, the second Dutch swimmer, was closing fast from lane eight, and Huske had just enough to get to the wall two hundredths ahead, 52.89 to 52.91. Neutral swimmer Daria Klepikova was also within a tenth.
Not her best time, not close to her U.S. Nationals time of 52.43, which remains the top time in the world this year. Her medal haul from these World Championships will not match her pre-meet expectation. Still, this was an incredibly meaningful medal for Huske after the tribulations of the previous week.
“I’m really happy to just be on the podium right now. It’s been a rough week for sure. The fact that I was able to bounce back and be able to do that, I’m really proud of that swim,” Huske said in an interview with NBC Sports. “Especially when I heard Gretchen was scratching and I would be the only American. I was like, ‘I really want to get on the podium for my country.’”
