Glenbrook South’s Olivia Smoliga won the 100-meter backstroke at the World Short Course Championships in Istanbul last week, the Chicago Tribune reports.

The event - the 2012 Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA) Short Course World Championships - was her first senior level world meet. To qualify for the race, she placed seventh. For the final, she swam a second faster, at 56.64, winning over Denmark’s Mie Oestergaard Nielsen by .43.

In all she earned four medals - two gold, a silver and a bronze. Her total made her the second highest medal-getter, only behind Ryan Lochte, who earned eight.

She earned the second gold in the 400 relay prelims, the silver in in the women's 50m backstroke, and a bronze in the 4x100m medley.

Smoliga began her competitive swimming career over eight years ago with GTAC, a competitive team that swims out of Glenbrook South High School and the Glenview Park District’s Splash Landings Indoor Aquatic Center.

A senior at Glenbrook South, Smoliga also swims for the Titan Girls Swim Team where she holds the 100 yard backstroke, 50 and 100 freestyle state records.

Smoliga represented GTAC at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Omaha, NE this summer.  She had the third fastest time overall and finished fourth in the 100 meter backstroke.  As a result of her time at the Olympic Trials, Smoliga was asked to join the U.S. National Team.

“Olivia continues to amaze everyone. GTAC and the surrounding communities are so proud of how Olivia represented herself, the community and the United States at the world championship swimming competition,” said GTAC Head Coach Steve Iida, who also serves on the coaching staff of the U.S. National Team. 

Smoliga just finished her high school season and returned to GTAC for the winter season.  Recently, she verbally committed to swim her collegiate career at the University of Georgia ranked one of the top swim teams at the NCAA Swimming Championships. 

Last month, Smoliga raced in the state swim finals, and broke the national record in both 50-yard freestyle and the 100-yard backstroke.

At the state meet, Smoliga set national high school records in the 50-yard freestyle and the 100-yard backstroke. Smoliga, who is headed to the University of Georgia, finished fourth in the 100 backstroke at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials.