Torri Huske Returns to Long Course Competition After Stellar Collegiate Finale
The last time Torri Huske raced a long course meet, she fought through gastrointestinal sickness to earn four medals at the World Championships. Huske’s symptoms were so severe that she was forced to withdraw from the 100 butterfly, an event where she had won Olympic gold one year earlier, but she showed impressive fight to come back and hold on for bronze in the 100 freestyle. She finished the meet anchoring two relays to world-record-setting performances.
A strong global meet for anyone else but a rough one by Huske’s standards after she entered shooting for eight total medals. She entered as favorite in the 100 free, having gone 52.43 at U.S. Nationals, and that time would stand up as the world’s best for 2025. Further improvements in freestyle gave her a chance at a 50 free medal, and she earned a spot on the U.S. women’s 800 free relay for the first time. Following her illness, though, Huske had to postpone those goals for future years.
Now, with the summer 2026 international competition season quickly approaching, expect to see Huske prove her status as one of the world’s top swimmers yet again. This comes on the back of her final college season, which doubled as her best. Huske spent her first three years at Stanford compiling an extensive record of NCAA second-place finishes thanks to Kate Douglass, Alex Walsh and Gretchen Walsh, with a lone breakthrough in the 200 IM in 2025. This year was her time to shine.
During her senior season, Huske chose to forgo the event in which she was defending champion to focus on the sprint races. The decision paid off perfectly with three individual victories, all at the expense of the Virginia team which had stood in her way through previous seasons. Huske out-dueled Claire Curzan in the 100 fly, touched out Sara Curtis in the 50 free and beat out the surging Anna Moesch in the 100 free. Moreover, the move to drop the 200 IM paid off as Stanford teammate Lucy Bell came through to win the national title, and the Cardinal edged out Texas for second place by four points.
Torri Huske at the 2025 World Championships — Photo Courtesy: Emily Cameron
In all of her events, Huske swam fast enough to become the second-quickest swimmer in history behind the younger Walsh sister, an especially impressive feat given that Walsh effectively redefined the limits of short course speed thanks to her incredible starts, turns and underwater kickouts. All good signs for Huske’s potential in long course, a format in which she has challenged and frequently beaten Walsh in the past.
Huske begins her 2026 long course campaign this week in Sacramento, Calif., at the third USA Swimming Pro Series meet of the year, and she will aim to ride the momentum from the college season into the Pan Pacific Championships in August. Huske is entered in seven events for the four-day meet, the 50, 100 and 200 free, 50 and 100 fly, 200 IM and 200 backstroke, although she could opt out of one or more races.
Most of Huske’s main rivals, including the Douglass and the Walsh sisters, will not make the trip out west for this meet, limiting the level of competition in her main events, but Huske will still have to deal with the likes of Claire Weinstein and Bella Sims in the 200 free plus French veteran Marie Wattel in the sprint events. More importantly, Huske hopes to establish her place in the early world rankings to give herself times to build off heading into the summer.
The 23-year-old already has two Olympic appearances and six medals to go along with 14 podium finishes on the World Championships level, and now she will take on Pan Pacs for the first time as the meet returns following its cancellation last quad. Huske already earned her spot by virtue of her times from last summer.
The pool competition at this year’s major meet will last just four days, and Huske could contend with her American, Australia, Canadian and Japanese rivals in any of six individual events in addition to an expected four relay appearances. Huske and her coaches will have decisions to make, although the 100 fly and 100 free will surely remain central focuses with other events selected around those two.
The world did not get to see the best of Huske in 2025 as illness struck, but at basically every other major inflection point, she has come through, never in a bigger moment than her 100 fly Olympic final victory over Gretchen Walsh. Expect another strong run leading into and carrying through Pan Pacs.