2023 U.S. Trials Previews: Huske Heads Up Stacked Field In Women’s 100 Fly

2023 U.S. NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

• June 27 – July 1, 2023
• Indianapolis, IN
• Indiana University Natatorium
• LCM (50m)
• Meet Central
• SwimSwam Preview Index

WOMEN’S 100 FLY – BY THE NUMBERS:

• World Record: 55.48, Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) – 2016 Olympic Games
• American Record: 55.64, Torri Huske – 2022 World Championships
• U.S. Open Record: 55.66, Torri Huske – 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials
• 2022 U.S. International Team Trials Champion: Torri Huske, 56.28
• World Aquatics ‘A’ Cut: 58.33

Torri Huske has stamped her authority on the women’s 100 fly in the United States over the last two years.

After breaking 57 seconds for the first time in the prelims at the Olympic Trials in 2021, Huske has really taken off and become one of the world’s best in the event. She clocked 55.66 in the Omaha final to become the third-fastest performer in history, and then after finishing a narrow fourth at the Tokyo Olympics, missing a medal by a mere hundredth, the Arlington Aquatic Club product came back with a vengeance in 2022, winning the world title and resetting her American Record in 55.64.

As we head into U.S. Nationals later this month, Huske has established herself as the clear-cut favorite, but she’ll need to be sharp with a stacked field of contenders chomping at the bit behind her.

At both the Tokyo Olympics and 2022 World Championships, Claire Curzan joined Huske in representing the U.S. in the 100 fly, and that could very well be the case again this year.

THE STANFORD DUO

Huske and Curzan were fixtures alongside one another at the 2022 World Championships, swimming in three of the same individual finals and earning medals on four relays together. A few months later, Curzan joined Huske at Stanford University for the 2022-23 collegiate season, bringing arguably the country’s top two sprinting stars together.

Claire Curzan (photo: Jack Spitser)

In one of the most competitive events in NCAA history, Huske and Curzan placed third and fourth at the 2023 NCAA Championships in the 100 fly—Huske’s swim was just over a tenth off of the all-time record entering the race—and the two have looked strong thus far in the long course season.

Huske went 56.84 at the Mission Pro Swim in May, just the second time she’s been sub-57 in-season, while Curzan was a very solid 57.26.

Curzan’s versatility in the freestyle and backstroke events might lead some to believe her focus has shifted away from the 100 fly, and while her training program has to balance three strokes across three different distances, she’s still one of the world’s best in the event and will have no scheduling conflicts at Trials.

The 18-year-old has been sub-56.5 on four separate occasions, and although her PB of 56.20 still stands from April 2021, she was close last year (56.35) and her in-season swim last month indicates she’s rounding back into 56-second form.

THE DISRUPTORS

It’s just one of those races. For swimmers good at a lot of different events, the 100 fly is seemingly one that versatile swimmers can jump into and contend on the big stage.

Huske and Curzan were the only Americans under 57 seconds last year, but we’ve already seen two other women crack the barrier in 2023: a backstroker and a sprint freestyler.

Regan Smith (photo: Jack Spitser)

Regan Smith has been on a demolition derby throughout the 2022-23 season, showing that the move to join the Arizona State pro group was the right one as she’s produced some of the fastest times of her career in numerous events.

In what would have to be regarded as her fourth-best race, Smith ranks third in the world and tops amongst Americans in the 100 fly this season, having clocked 56.60 at the Fort Lauderdale Pro Swim in March. That was followed by her breaking the super-suited American Record in the 200 fly earlier this month.

Smith is on fire, period, especially in fly, having logged the three fastest 100 fly swims of her career in 2023 (also cracking 57 in April at 56.92), and will be right there in the battle for a Worlds spot.

The other swimmer who has emerged as a bonafide contender for a spot in Fukuoka is Gretchen Walsh, who first put her name in the mix when she won the U.S. National crown last summer in 57.44.

Walsh, who didn’t race the 100 fly at the 2022 U.S. Trials, held a PB of 57.43 from March 2021 coming into 2023, but uncorked a time of 56.73 in early June.

That immediately makes her a contender in Indianapolis, as she’s shown an improved back half, and with a full taper could find more speed pushing her into 56-low-to-mid territory. She could potentially scratch the event to focus on the 50 back, which comes two events later, but given her ability to perform doubles at NCAAs with relays, doing both shouldn’t be an issue.

KATE DOUGLASS

One of the most interesting swimmers heading into Nationals, Kate Douglass is coming off a sensational collegiate career that culminated with a sweep of all seven events (including relays) in which she contested at the Women’s NCAA Championships.

It would be hard to argue against her most impressive swim being the the 200 IM, where she smashed the all-time record by 1.71 seconds, but close behind that was the 100 fly, where Douglass went toe-to-toe with Maggie MacNeil and emerged victorious with a new NCAA, U.S. Open and American Record of 48.46.

Kate Douglass (photo: Jack Spitser)

In long course, Douglass was the Olympic bronze medalist in the 200 IM in 2021, and then emerged as one of the world’s best in the 200 breaststroke last year, winning bronze in Budapest. So where does that leave the 100 fly?

Douglass narrowly missed qualifying for the U.S. Olympic team in the event two years ago, placing third in Omaha in 56.56, 13 one-hundredths shy of runner-up Curzan.

At the 2022 Trials, Douglass was a distant fourth in the 100 fly in 58.14.

This season? Douglass has already ripped a 57.19, the third-fastest swim of her career and quickest in two years, to punctuate the fact that she’s priming for a big long course showing as she transitions out of NCAA swimming.

Her PB from the Olympic Trials ranks her third among swimmers who will be in the field next week in Indianapolis, ahead of Smith and Walsh, so there’s no doubt Douglass will be right there in the final.

U.S. Rankings, Women’s 100 Butterfly (LCM)

Active Swimmers

1. Torri Huske, 55.64 – 2022 World Championships
2. Claire Curzan, 56.20 – 2021 TAC Titans LC Premier
3. Kate Douglass, 56.56 – 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials
4. Regan Smith, 56.60 – 2023 Pro Swim Series – Fort Lauderdale
5. Gretchen Walsh, 56.73 – 2023 NCAP Elite Qualifier

THE 16-YEAR-OLDS: SHACKELL & SHACKLEY

Two swimmers poised to make an impact in the 100 fly sooner rather than later, Alex Shackell and Leah Shackley have reached the upper echelon of the U.S. rankings despite both being just 16 years of age.

Shackell has been on a continuous upward trajectory, winning the ‘B’ final at last year’s Trials (58.78), gold at both the U.S. Junior Nationals (58.33) and Junior Pan Pacs (58.58) in the summer, and then entering a new level in May, clocking 57.63 to rank third all-time in the 15-16 age group (behind Curzan and Huske).

Shackley, on the other hand, has come out of nowhere to put herself into ‘A’ final territory. Coming into 2023 with a best time of 1:00.62 from the U.S. Open, she had four swims 59.25 or faster in May, highlighted by her 58.07 at the Renee McCutchan Invite which ranks sixth all-time in the 15-16 age group.

While it would be a tall order for either swimmer to truly challenge for a spot in the top two, they both figure to be in the 57-second range which should make things interesting in the championship heat.

THE FIELD

There are a number of other well-known names who will be in the hunt for a berth in the ‘A’ final in this event, but given how stacked things are at the top, they would need a massive breakthrough to challenge for a World Championship slot.

Kelly Pash (57.73) and Gabi Albiero (57.82) have both been under 58 seconds in their career, with Pash having also gone 57.89 this season.

Olivia Bray and Beata Nelson have both been 58.0, and Natalie Hinds and Emma Sticklen are also in the mix with sub-59 swims on their resume this year and best times in the 58.4 to 58.7 range. Dakota Luther, known for her abilities in the 200 fly, also has a 58.39 best time, as does Rachel Klinker.

Zooming out and looking at the 2022 Trials, Douglass placed fourth in a time of 58.14. This year alone, we’ve already seen nine different Americans go faster than that, and 58-low will likely be the ‘A’ final cutoff in Indianapolis.

SWIMSWAM’S PICKS

Dark Horse: Abby Arens – Arens touched first in the consolation final of the 100 fly at the 2023 Women’s NCAA Championships in a time of 50.60, her third sub-51 swim of the year after entering the season with a PB of 51.62. In long course, Arens was 59.04 last July at a Sectionals meet, and produced her second-fastest swim ever, 59.50, earlier this month. A rising senior at NC State, Arens is primed to burst into 58-second territory and vie for a spot in the top eight.

See all of our selections for the 2023 U.S. Nationals with the SwimSwam Preview Index here.