When Torri Huske of Arlington, Virginia, won gold in the 100m butterfly Sunday night, the people most important to her were there to celebrate with her.
Her victory by four hundredths of a second ahead of teammate Gretchen Walsh came three years after she missed the podium by an even closer margin in Tokyo.
“I missed the podium by a hundredth of a second last time, and that was really crushing, but I think that it made me better,” Torri said.
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Torri’s parents credit her success to a lot of practice, a lot of hard work and a big support system.
“Her friends came from Arlington just to be with her, and it was the greatest moment, because she had the people she loved most right next to her,” said her father, Jim Huske.
“She gave me the longest hug ever,” said her mother, Ying Huske. “That was so nice.”
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Her parents recalled the phone call they got from Tokyo after that disappointment.
“I said, ‘What did your coach say?’ And she said, ‘He didn’t have to say anything. I told him I blew it.’ And he didn’t say a word. And I said, ‘OK.’ And then there’s this long pause, and she said, 'You know, if I think I work real hard, I can win it next year at world championships,’” her father said. “And then the last two years have been up and down and tough, and she persevered, and she wasn’t the favorite in this one, as we all know. And Gretchen is a fabulous swimmer and an even better person, and she got her. “And we’re just so proud, but that’s Torri in a nutshell.”
“Thirty years ago, maybe 31 years ago, I came here, so I was hoping to have a better life, better opportunities, or maybe, better life for my future kids, future family,” Ying said. “She has been a wonderful kid since the beginning, and I’m so proud of her now she’s representing the U.S. and competing in the Olympic Games and also brought home a gold medal. That’s just unreal.”
Torri has at least one more chance to earn more hardware at the Paris Olympics. The prelims for the 100m freestyle are Tuesday with the finals Wednesday. The coaches of Team USA also could select her for the mixed medley relay or the women’s medley relay.
