Torri Huske solidified herself as a US swimmer to watch with a historic showing at the Olympic trials this weekend. En route to her first Olympic team, the 18-year-old broke a nine-year-old American record – then went ahead and broke it again the next day. Not bad for your first Olympic trials, and Huske’s not done yet: she’ll be vying to qualify for four more events before her competition is done.
Want to know more about this talented swimmer? Read on for six fun facts to help you get to know Huske before she makes her Olympic debut in Tokyo.
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Getty / Al Bello
Torri Huske Used the Olympics Postponement to Improve Her Strength
Huske said she made the best of the Olympics postponement, using the extra year to get stronger and improve the second half of her 100-meter race. “The strength training made a big difference in my second 25,” Huske said in a press conference at Trials. “I normally tend to just ‘fly and die.’ I just go out hard and kind of just see if I can hold on, so I feel like it really helped my second 50.”
Huske’s hard work is already paying off. Besides qualifying for Tokyo, she also posted personal bests in three events during the pandemic.
Getty / Maddie Meyer
Torri Huske Says Her Mom Is One of Her Inspirations
Huske shared that her mother grew up in a labour camp in China before earning her spot at a Chinese university. She later immigrated to America, studied at Virginia Tech, and became an IT professional, Huske said during the Olympic trials press conference. “My mum actually has a really cool story,” she said. “She’s a really big inspiration to me. I’m just lucky to have her.”
Getty / Maddie Meyer
Torri Huske Swims Multiple Freestyle, Butterfly, and Medley Events
Huske has already clinched her Olympic spot in the 100-metre butterfly, but she still has three more events to go: the 50-, 100- and 200-metre freestyles and the 200-metre individual medley. Huske’s ability to compete with the best in multiple events gives her an extra edge. “We love Torri’s versatility, which is one of the best we’ve ever seen coming out of high school,” said Greg Meehan, Stanford’s director of women’s swimming, in a Stanford Athletics article. Meehan, who also coaches the US Women’s Olympic Swimming Team, said Huske is a “top performer” in her individual events with the added ability to impact relays “in any number of strokes.”
