In what was perhaps the most nail-biting races of the Paris Olympics so far, the Women’s 100 Fly finals witnessed history. The competition was tight between the two Americans – Torri Huske and Gretchen Walsh, along with China’s Zhang Yufei.
In the end, everyone in the arena expected Walsh to nail the race and bring home the gold, given how her pace put her in a consistent lead. However, things changed quickly in the last few meters, and the world record holder was beaten by her own teammate!
Huske battled until the very end and managed to touch the finish line mere milliseconds before Walsh, thus securing the gold. The feat was so exhilarating and unbelievable that it had gotten the 21-year-old a flushed face. The official page of the USA Swimming congratulated her win.
“Forever etched in Olympic history”
Forever etched in Olympic history ✅@TeamUSA | #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/dc5NcWRHt4
— USA Swimming (@USASwimming) July 28, 2024
Fans were both overjoyed and surprised at the results.
Was not expecting her to beat Walsh. Huge surprise there. Congrats to both.
— Craig Anderson #BLM #StopAsianHate (@canderson1989) July 28, 2024
Everyone sent in their congratulatory messages full of love.
Congratulations Torri!
— the real Nomad (@realnomad696) July 28, 2024
The joy of winning was palpable, and one fan resonated with it.
that expression of joy is priceless. congrat to torri.
— Chuckarelei (@Chuckarelei) July 28, 2024
Several even felt that the win was deserved and long due.
Deserved. She put her head down and took it.
— (@sweets419) July 28, 2024
Lastly, people from her hometown expressed their pride.
Way to go! Super proud of you! @ArlingtonVA hometown favorite! #Paris2024 https://t.co/gB9cdE945o
— S Flanagan-Watson (@sflanaganwatson) July 28, 2024
The American duo were seen embracing and congratulating each other on their respective wins. After all, getting a 1-2 on the podium for the country was a huge reason to celebrate.
Gretchen Walsh and Torri Huske had already cracked through the semi-finals in full force
The Women’s 100m fly semi-finals were no less dramatic, with several nations battling their way to the top of the roster. What seems to have worked well for the USA has been their penchant for maintaining consistency across their swimmers.
Walsh and Huske had previously made waves in the semi-finals, scoring up enough pace to qualify for the final round. While they were in different heats, their paces seemed to have matched up in the favor of the country.
Walsh clocked in at 55.83, while Huske managed to finish close at 56:00, thus securing their places at the top of the roster. Fans had already been expecting a podium finish, but the 1-2 places were a cherry on top for everyone.
