New wave incoming: First-time Olympians Andrew, Huske lead youth charge for U.S. swimming at Olympic trials

Michael Andrew has been trading messages on his phone with another Michael recently.

Michael Phelps, that is.

The most decorated Olympian of all time has been sending words of encouragement to the 22 year old, who on Monday (14 June) booked his spot at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 with a first-place finish in the men’s 100m breaststroke at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for swimming.

READ MORE: How did Day 2 at U.S. Trials shake out?

“He’s been messaging me back and forth on Instagram, wishing me luck,” Andrew told reporters of his exchange with Phelps, who is in attendance as a fan this week. “It’s pretty surreal to know that the greatest of all time has been watching my career and supports me where I’m at.”

Where Andrew is at, now, is on the U.S. Olympic team, much the same as 18-year-old Torri Huske (pictured above), who won the women’s 100m butterfly, touching ahead of another teen, Claire Curzan, 16, who could also make it to Tokyo.

“I keep having to remind myself that I'm at Olympic Trials... it's really surreal,” said Huske, who is due to swim at Stanford this coming school year. “I can't believe it's true; I can't believe it's happening. It doesn't even feel real.”

On Sunday night (13 June), the first day of finals at the U.S. Trials, two other youngsters became Olympians, too: Nineteen-year-old Emma Weyant (400m IM) and 21-year-old Kieran Smith (400m freestyle).

Ledecky: 'It gave me chills'

It’s a feeling that five-time Olympic gold medallist Katie Ledecky knows well.

“It’s so exciting to see some young swimmers coming up,” Ledecky said after booking her own ticket to Tokyo, which will be her third Games. “I just saw Torri [Huske’s] ear-to-ear grin on the medal podium and it gave me chills... seeing Michael [Andrew] cry... [those are] the emotions that come with making the team.”

Andrew, who missed out on the Rio 2016 at age 17, recalled meeting Phelps when he was aged nine.

“This was at a swim clinic called ‘Swim with the Stars’ in Atlanta [in 2008],” he said. “This was when I first got serious about the sport. I remember being there standing in line and I was too nervous to go say hi to Michael Phelps. But it’s really cool to be able to look back at that photo and know now that I’m representing the same team that he carried so well for so many Olympics.”

Torri Huske: What a difference a year can make

Huske, who finished high school in recent months, started swimming at age two and – during the pandemic – used a family friends’ pool to continue her training. She repaid them in baked goods.

The delay of the Olympics one year because of the pandemic was challenging for many, but Huske feels as though the extra time gave her the chance to dig in with more dry-land training, gaining important strength for the butterfly stroke.

“Delaying the Olympics a year... it's made a big difference for me,” she told reporters. “I tend to ‘fly and die, so I think the strength training has really helped me with that.”

Huske set a new American record in the event with a 55.66, just .18 seconds off the world record.

While veterans like Ledecky, Chase Kalisz and more should shine this week in Omaha – there’s a new wave of young swimmers coming. Andrew and Huske further assured that on Monday night.

Ledecky: Olympics No.3 on the docket

Ledecky, already considered the greatest female swimmer of all time, will go to a third Olympics in Tokyo as she looks to build on her five Olympic gold medals. She won the women’s 400m freestyle Monday, one of the events she won in Rio.

“She is the greatest female swimmer in the history of our sport, let's get that out of the way,” said Rowdy Gaines, the Olympic gold medallist and commentator, on the NBC broadcast. “In Tokyo, she has the chance to become the greatest female Olympian.”

Ledecky was unhappy with her time (4:01.27) in the race, some five seconds off the world record she set in 2016.

Semi-finals: King, Murphy stay the course

While the finals on Monday night featured Olympic berths, there was plenty action across the semi-final races as well.

Regan Smith clocked a 57.92 in the women’s 100m backstroke to set a new record for the race swam in American waters (called a U.S. Open Record), having previously held the world record in the event. (Smith is the current 200m backstroke world record holder.) Also still only 19, she’s looking for her Olympic debut.

Olympic champion Ryan Murphy had the best time in the men’s 100m backstroke (52.22). Murphy won gold in the 100m and 200m backstroke in Rio. His 51.85 at the Olympics in 2016 is a world record in the 100m.

Lilly King led the way in the women’s 100m breaststroke with a 1:04.72, the reigning Olympic champ and world-record holder in the event advancing to the finals as the No.1 swimmer.

Kieran Smith was the fastest in the men’s 200m freestyle semi-final, clocking 1:45.74.