Bobby Finke, Torri Huske Capture Top Awards at Golden Goggles Gala
Five months after the U.S. Olympic Trials at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis became the best-attended swim meet event, USA Swimming returned to the city for the annual Golden Goggles Awards, honoring the top-achieving athletes and best performances of the year.
To little surprise, the event kicked off with recognition for Torri Huske and Bobby Finke, two swimmers who won individual gold medals at the Paris Olympics in stunning fashion. Huske and Finke began the night by winning Female and Male Performance of the Year, respectively, then added Female and Male Athlete of the Year to cap the night. U.S. Olympic coach Todd DeSorbo, the coach of the four-time reigning Virginia women’s NCAA champion, was named coach of the year.
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Finke got the nod on the men’s side for top performance for his gold medal in the 1500 freestyle, in which he departed from his normal race strategy to lead from start to finish, and he broke Sun Yang’s 12-year-old world record in the process. Finke has become the most consistent male swimmer in the country, and this is the fourth consecutive year in which he has received this honor for his distance races at major international competitions. The other men’s nominees were Nic Fink in the 100 breast and Luke Hobson in the 200 free. Finke picked up Male Athlete of the Year for the second time, joining his 2022 honor.
“I just want to take a moment to thank all the amazing support I have,” Finke said. “The race itself was a lot of fun to do. The Olympics meant a lot – especially with everything going into it. The world is getting a lot faster and to be up here and represent our country is an honor.”
Huske won the women’s Race of the Year award for her gold-medal-winning swim in the women’s 100 butterfly, when she came from behind to beat out American rival and world-record holder Gretchen Walsh. Huske beat out a pair of other gold-medal-winning swims for this award, Kate Douglass’ triumph in the 200 breaststroke and Katie Ledecky’s dominant swim in the 1500 free.
“Thank you so much, I did not get here alone,” Huske said. “I have a ton of people to thank, but first I want to thank all my teammates at Stanford and all the girls I train with every day. You make me so much better. Also, thank you Greg (Meehan, coach at Stanford) for everything you do. I always trust the process with you, and you make it so easy. Thank you for always having my back. Thank you, USA Swimming and USA Swimming Foundation, for making it so easy this summer. Swimmers like me only had to step up on the blocks and race and not have to think about anything else behind the scenes. Thank you for all you do.”
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The Breakout Swimmer of the Year honor went to Walsh, who swam the fastest short course yards time ever in four different individual events before qualifying for her first Olympic team. She ended the year with four Olympic medals, including 100 fly silver and two relay golds.
“I am so honored to be receiving this award tonight,” Walsh said. “My swimming career has not been perfect, but moments like these and this past summer make all the setbacks worth it. Thank you to USA Swimming and USA Swimming Foundation for tonight’s event and all the help this past summer.”
The Impact Award was given to Arlene McDonald, who was meet director at the U.S. Olympic Trials, while Rowdy Gaines was honored as USA Swimming’s Alumni of the Year. Gaines has been the television color analyst for NBC Sports at every Olympics since 1996. The Foundation Impact Award went to Scott and Lorraine Davison.
“I just want everyone to know that we take this sport for granted,” Gaines said. “It completely changed my life, you guys. When I started swimming at 17, I was going down a pretty dark path. When I found swimming, I owe it so much. I know I screw up on the broadcast and I understand that, but I can promise you that nobody loves this sport more than I do.”
Huske and Walsh shared in the relay of the year with Lilly King and Regan Smith for the 400 medley relay at the Paris Olympics. That quartet set a world record in finals at 3:49.63, the first relay to get under 3:50, to win by more than three seconds.
Paige Madden won the Perseverance Award after her magical swim in the 800 free that netted her bronze in Paris. After not breaking 8:30 in the event, she went 8:20 at U.S. Olympic Trials, then 8:13.00 for bronze. Madden also won a silver medal in the women’s 800 free relay for the second consecutive Olympics.
“I wouldn’t be here without all of you who are here today – all my teammates, my family, and the USA Swimming Foundation, thank you so much,” Madden said. “I truly think that everyone here has persevered through something in their lives, some of us are more vocal than others, but we all go through hard times. What’s most important is that we lean on each other. I found that through the last few years. I can truly walk away from the last year saying that I fell in love with the sport, and it didn’t matter if I won a medal or made the team or not, I loved every single day and just loved the daily grind.”
Katie Grimes won the Fran Crippen Open Water Swimmer of the Year, after finishing 15th at the Paris Olympics in the 10K to augment silver in the 400 IM. It’s the second straight year she’s garnered that recognition.