Swimming | Broken fingers won't keep Emily Silver from Beijing trip

OMAHA, Neb. — Bainbridge Island's Emily Silver broke two fingers on her right hand coming into the wall Saturday night in the semifinals of the 50 freestyle, but the injury is not expected to keep her from Beijing.

This injury is Silver's version of "been there, done that." She's had this same injury twice, both times the result of her coming in too hard to the wall in a sprint. The last time this happened was in 2006, four months before the meet to select the members of the 2007 World Championship, World University Games and Pan American Games teams.

Silver went on to make the World University Games team and win a relay gold (400 freestyle) and silver (400 medley relay) in Bangkok, Thailand.

Bob Silver said his daughter will most likely have surgery today in California and then wear a waterproof cast for a week while continuing her training. She qualified as an alternate for the 400 freestyle relay Friday with a fifth in the 100 freestyle.

"She'll be fine for the Olympics," her father said. "Nothing could keep her off of that team. She's so excited."

Olympic team training commences Tuesday in Palo Alto, Calif., and she will join them after surgery.

Mark Schubert, the national Olympic swim coach, said Silver's injury does not affect her team status.

"Unless her doctor says she can't swim, Emily is on the team and will be on the team," Schubert said.

Bob Silver said his daughter is in good spirits and eager to get back in the water.

"Her hand is a little sore, but she's been here before and knows what to expect," said Bob Silver, who swam on the Indiana team with Mark Spitz in the early 1970s. "We didn't even know she'd broken it until we saw her after the meet Saturday. She told me everything was fine and that the worst thing they could do was tell her she couldn't go to Beijing, and the second worst was that she couldn't swim.

"But she thrives on this kind of thing. She's very determined, and if I know my daughter, this will motivate her even more to go faster in Beijing."

Note

• King Aquatic teammates Megan Jendrick and Margaret Hoelzer made the U.S. Olympic swimming team earlier this week, and now their coach has, too. Sean Hutchison was named as an assistant coach for the women's Olympic team Sunday. He will be coaching the breaststroke and backstroke members of the team — including Hoelzer and Jendrick.

For Hutchison, who took over at King in 2002 and has built the program into a consistent winner, it's a dream come true.

"It's still really sinking in, and it's something I wanted to accomplish for a long time," said Hutchison.