Granbury's Dana Vollmer made up for the disappointment of missing out on the 2008 Olympic team, easily winning the 100-meter butterfly at the U.S. swimming trials.
Vollmer was more than a half-second under the world-record pace at the turn Monday night, but she faded on the return lap. Not to worry -- she had built such a commanding lead that she was a full body length ahead when she touched in 56.50 seconds.
"I'm so relieved," she said.
Claire Donahue claimed the second spot for London in 57.57.
Natalie Coughlin missed on her first attempt to make her third Olympic team. She finished next-to-last in the eight-woman race in 58.66.
Vollmer won a relay gold at the 2004 Athens Games after making the team as a 16-year-old. Several injuries and food allergies derailed her bid at the 2008 trials, making her question whether it was worth carrying on with her career. She's sure glad she stuck with it.
"As I walked in, I saw the pool was the same and I was nervous," Vollmer said. "It's nice to put that behind me."
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On Wednesday night, Vollmer took to the pool again for the 200-meter freestyle semis. Vollmer finished second in her heat with a time of 1:58.34 and qualified for the finals Thursday night.
You'll be able to watch Vollmer in the finals on NBC 5, coverage starts at 7 p.m.
