Los Alamos resident Ruth Lier’s grandnephew Luke Hobson, second from left, is interviewed by NBC after securing a first place finish in 200 M Freestyle during the 2024 Summer Olympic trials held June 17 in Indianapolis. He will be going to the Summer Olympics in Paris in July. LADP Screenshot
Los Alamos resident Ruth Lier’s grandnephew Luke Hobson reacts to his first place finish in the 200 M freestyle during the 2024 Summer Olympic trials held June 17 in Indianapolis. LADP Screenshot
By KIRSTEN LASKEY
Los Alamos Daily Post
kirsten@ladailypost.com
For Los Alamos resident Ruth Lier, watching NBC’s coverage of the 2024 Olympic Swimming Trials June 17 in Indianapolis, was a momentous event. Among the Olympic hopefuls competing in the 200 M Freestyle was her 20-year-old grandnephew, Luke Hobson. Not only did Hobson compete but he won the meet and a spot on the U.S. men’s Olympic swimming team.
Hobson’s time of 1:44.89 gave him a first-place finish in the 200 M Freestyle. He will be competing at the Olympic Summer Games, which start July 26 in Paris.
“It was so exciting,” Lier said. “It was fantastic.”
“I was watching him swim and I was getting chills up my spine,” she added.
While Lier did not speak to her grandnephew after his win, she said she did receive an email from his father, Chip. “It was pretty exciting! It should be a great experience for him,” he said.
In an interview with NBC, Hobson said, “It’s amazing. Swimming in front of this amazing crowd, it’s one of the coolest feelings ever and I couldn’t be happier.”
Hobson is from Reno, Nev., and attends the University of Texas in Austin. Lier added that earning a spot on the Olympic team was like an early birthday present – he turned 21 on June 25.
There is a long line of swimmers in Lier’s family. Most competed at the college level. Lier and her husband, Doug, were members of the Los Alamos Masters Swimming, which also included Bill Hudson.
In fact, she said she placed in the top 10 at the national competition in the 1970s.
“I was born an Aquarius,” Lier said. “I have to love water … our family believes in being drown-proof.”
She further noted that Chip spent summers as a child in Los Alamos with her and her family. In fact, he learned to swim in the Barranca Pool.
As for Hobson, Lier said he has been swimming since age 5. While he is one of many competitive swimmers in the family, Lier said he is the first to swim at the Olympics.
“He is really dedicated to swimming,” she said.
Hobson wasn’t the only swimmer at the trials with ties to Los Alamos. Lier said two Los Alamos High School graduates – Carson Hicks and Orion Henderson – also competed; however, neither earned a spot on the Olympic team this year.
The competition is incredibly steep to get into the team; Lier said only first and second place finishers move on to the Olympics and of the 1,007 swimmers who entered trials, only 46 are heading to Paris.
Lier added she feels hopeful for her grandnephew’s prospects in Paris.
“Every time he swims, he betters his time,” she said.
Los Alamos resident Ruth Lier has a grandnephew heading to 2024 Summer Olympics. But he isn’t the only swimmer in the family. Lier and her husband, Doug, were members of the Masters Swimming Los Alamos. Here, from left, are the Summer 1978 Masters Swimming Los Alamos members Dan Miles, Bob Skaggs, Ruth Lier, Jackie MacFarlane, Sam Jones, Rod Thurston, Pat Thompson, Diane Hyer, Bill Hudson, Dave Sachs, Kaye Lathrop and Doug Lier. Courtesy photo
