Broken hand? No problem

First-time Olympian Emily Silver will need surgery after breaking her right hand at the end of a 50-meter freestyle qualifying race during the U.S. Olympics trials in Omaha on Saturday night.

Silver, 22, broke her hand when she slammed into the wall to finish the race, Associated Press reported.

"She was really scared right away," Mark Schubert, head coach of the U.S. team, told AP. "She got out and said, 'I think I broke my hand again."

Silver, who swims for Cal, had broken the same hand twice before -- once during practice and once during a meet.

Though Silver failed to advance to Sunday night’s final, she did qualify for a spot on the 400 free relay. Schubert told AP that he is "confident she'll be able to compete in Beijing and do well."

Kara Lynn Joyce, who swam for the U.S. during the Athens Games in 2004 will swim if Silver isn't able to compete.

-- Greg Johnson

Photo: Emily Silver celebrates with second place finisher Natalie Coughlin after the final of the 100 meter freestyle during the U.S. swimming trials. Credit: Al Bello/Getty Images