MINNEAPOLIS — In her first meet since a heartbreaking Olympic trials, Hayley McGregory didn't show much of a hangover.

McGregory broke meet records in both the 100- and 200-meter backstroke, while Nick Thoman came within three-tenths of a second of the world record in the men's 100-meter backstroke at the U.S. Open today.

The 22-year-old McGregory became one of talks of the swimming world last month after failing to qualify for the Olympics despite setting a world record in the preliminaries.

McGregory broke Natalie Coughlin's record time in the 100-meter backstroke but held the record for just a few minutes before Coughlin took it back.

Then, in the finals of the trials, McGregory was edged by .21 seconds for second place — with only the top two swimmers making it to the Olympics. She also finished third in the 200-meter backstroke, leaving her out of the games for the second straight time.

Her qualifying finishes in 2004? Third and third.

"I was pretty down because I've been training for that for so long," McGregory said. "But it's just something you have to live with. I'm still one of the best."

After the trials she was unsure about her future in swimming, but after talking with her coach, Randy Reese, she decided to begin training for the 2012 games.

"She's young for a swimmer, and has a good contract and can make some good money," Reese said. "I told her I thought she had a lot of upside and that it was a good thing for her to keep going, and I think she already knew that deep down."

In her 100-meter race Friday, McGregory touched the halfway point on pace to break the world record. She slowed on the backstretch, but was given the loudest applause of any swimmer by the Minneapolis crowd.

"I think a lot of people want to see me do well because they think I should be at the Olympics," she said. "I don't know a lot of the people cheering for me in the stands, and that's a real good feeling."

Thoman, also coached by Reese, became just the second swimmer in history to finish the 100-meter backstroke in under 53 seconds.

"That came out of nowhere," Thoman said. "My best time before this was 53.7 so I was shooting for maybe a 53.5. That's the best swim I've ever even thought about."

Thoman finished sixth in the trials, and Reese said a lower-pressure event like the U.S. Open is more conducive to personal best times.

"I think both Nick and Hayley pushed a little hard at the trials," he said. "I'm just glad they could both come back and get back on track a little."