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NANTERRE, France — It was easy to overlook, but Torri Huske certainly didn’t. Despite starting from the less favored Lane 1 in the women’s 100-meter freestyle final, Huske remained unshaken.
She’s embraced self-trust, which has significantly contributed to her success. As of Wednesday, Huske leads with the highest number of medals for Team USA at the Paris Olympics.
In a surprising turn of events, Huske clinched a silver medal with a swift 52.29 seconds, slightly behind the world-record holder Sarah Sjöström’s 52.16 seconds, securing gold. Between the Tuesday semifinals and Wednesday’s final at Paris La Défense Arena, Huske improved her time by .70 seconds—a massive gap in the world of sprint swimming.
Huske, at 21, explained the tweaks to her strategy. “In the semifinal, I used my legs too much in the first 25 meters, so I knew I had to pull back and just trust in my ability to finish strong, and that’s exactly what I executed,” she said.
Sarah Sjostrom of Sweden just narrowly outpaced Huske, seizing the gold in the thrilling 100m free event at the #ParisOlympics, broadcasted by NBC and Peacock.
Starting simultaneously with Sjöström, Huske was the first to the 50-meter turn, conserving enough energy for a robust finish within a mere .13 seconds of the leader.
Interestingly, being in Lane 1 proved beneficial for Huske. Since she only breathes to her left, it prevented her from seeing her competitors in the initial 50 meters, which helped her focus on her own race without distractions.
Huske’s performances so far include winning a gold in the 100-meter butterfly and a silver in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay. With the potential to compete in the 4×100-meter medley relay and possibly the mixed medley relay, her success could escalate even further.
Showcasing her silver medal, Huske expressed pride in her achievements in both the butterfly and freestyle races. “After the semifinals, I understood that the race was open for anyone to take. I thrive on competition, and it certainly brings out the best in me,” she reflected.
In the intense final, the gold to fourth-place spread was just .18 seconds, and the gap between third place and missing out on a medal was a mere .01 seconds.
Following Sjöström and Huske, Siobhan Bernadette Haughey of Hong Kong secured the bronze with a time of 52.33 seconds, and Mollie O’Callaghan of Australia finished fourth. American Gretchen Walsh came in eighth.
Now a four-time Olympic medalist, Huske has emerged as a standout at the Paris Olympics, somewhat unexpectedly after she qualified second in her individual events at the U.S. Olympic Trials in June.
Three years ago in Tokyo, Huske earned a silver in the women’s medley relay and narrowly missed a medal in the 100 fly by .01 seconds. In Paris, she has already tripled her medal count from 2021.
Of the 17 medals Team USA has won in swimming, Huske and Katie Ledecky are the standout performers with individual golds.
Huske also showed admiration for her competitor Sjöström, describing her as an extraordinary athlete and praising her congeniality, “Sarah is the greatest,” Huske remarked, “I’m thrilled for her win. She’s not only an incredible swimmer but also genuinely kind—she deserved this victory.”