Torri Huske and Gretchen Walsh Share the Podium in Paris

NANTERRE — For Torri Huske, redemption came in the form of an Olympic gold medal Sunday night. The 21-year-old used a charging finish to beat out USA teammate and current world record holder Gretchen Walsh by just four one-hundredths of a second in the 100-meter butterfly. The duo are the first American women to record a gold and silver medal in the event since 1984, when Mary T. Meagher and Jenna Johnson achieved the feat.

The Olympic final of the 100-meter butterfly is familiar territory for Huske. She was narrowly out-touched for third by Australia’s Emma McKeon in Tokyo, missing the podium by just one one-hundredth of a second.

“I'm not gonna lie, that was devastating,” said Huske when asked about the loss in 2021. “But I think that it really fueled me, and I think that it did make me better.”

The ability to learn from her disappointment in Tokyo was on full display with her victory here in Paris. In 2021, Huske had a promising lead the first 80-meters of the race before falling behind on the home stretch. The story could not be more different three years later in La Défense. After turning in third place at the 50-meter mark, Huske found another gear the last 20 meters of the race to finish in 55.59 seconds. Walsh was second in 55.63 seconds, ahead of China’s Zhang Yufei, who took home silver in the event in Tokyo.

The shock of winning the tight battle was worn across Huske’s face as she looked up at the results.

“It was really surreal,” said Huske. “You've been dreaming about this moment for so long, and then it finally becomes a reality. I don't even really know how to process it. I felt like I was hyperventilating a little bit.”

Huske wasted no time finding Walsh after the race, embracing her over the lane line. The two stood side-by-side on top of the podium as the flags were raised and the national anthem echoed during the medal ceremony.

Walsh was considered the favorite heading into tonight race after a meteoric rise in the 100-meter butterfly over the past year. The 21-year-old was electric at the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials last month, blasting a world record of 55.18 seconds in the semifinals. She punched her ticket to her first Olympics after beating out Huske for the title in the event, earning a spot in the 50-meter freestyle via a second-place finish to Simone Manuel.

Walsh will also race the 100-meter free individually in Paris after former University of Virginia teammate Kate Douglass ceded her spot in the event to help manage her race load at the Games. Walsh already earned a silver medal Saturday night — along with Huske — as part of the 4x100 meter freestyle relay. In addition to the podium finish, Walsh set an Olympic record that night in the semifinals of the 100-meter butterfly, putting her in first going into the final by almost seven tenths of a second.

“I was definitely nervous beforehand,” said Walsh on the final. “I feel like there was a lot of pressure on me…I just wanted to try to execute the race as best as I could.

"I left it all out there in the pool and it might not have been the time that I was necessarily looking for, but to even medal at my first ever Olympics is something that I don't think many people get to say and I'm honored, truly.”

Walsh and Huske will continue to team up for the U.S. throughout these Olympics. The pair will be racing in the 100-meter freestyle with preliminaries beginning on Tuesday. They are also expected to contribute to the women’s 4x100-meter medley relay, where Huske owns a silver from Tokyo.