FLASH! Gretchen Walsh Swims 54.60 to Crush Hours-Previous 100 Fly World Document
Gretchen Walsh shocked the world in prelims on the TYR Professional Sequence in Fort Lauderdale when she knocked 9 hundredths from her personal world file within the 100 butterfly. That new customary lasted lower than 9 hours earlier than Walsh returned to the Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Middle within the night to rocket the occasion below 55 for the primary time.
Walsh was racing towards Torri Huske, the swimmer who edged out Walsh for Olympic gold in Paris, however nobody got here shut on this event. She was out in 25.32, 9 tenths forward of Huske and two tenths below her cut up from prelims. She closed in 29.28, sufficient to decrease her prelims world file by virtually a half-second with a ultimate time of 54.60.
Huske completed second in 56.59, an elite time for a midseason meet and simply over a second off the 55.52 that was ok for Olympic gold final 12 months. She moved as much as No. 3 on the earth rankings behind Walsh and Germany’s Angelina Kohler. However Huske ended up virtually two full seconds behind her fundamental rival. Third place right here went to Alex Shackell in 57.31.
Getting into the day, the 100 fly file stood at 55.18, which Walsh clocked within the semifinals ultimately 12 months’s U.S. Olympic Trials, and her instances of 55.09 and 54.60 give her the 5 quickest marks ever within the occasion. For eight years, Sarah Sjostrom held the world file within the occasion at 55.48, however Walsh is now virtually 9 tenths forward of that mark.
Notably, Walsh may need been even faster if not for gliding into each her flip and end, deciding towards taking a further stroke on each events. It didn’t even matter, although, as her newest world file was sufficient to elicit a “Wow” from the shocked swimmer as she made sense of the numbers on the scoreboard.
Thought-about an elite sprinter for years, Walsh has made big enhancements in latest seasons on the again half of her lengthy course 100-meter races. Splitting 29.73 to shut down her first world-record swim final June was thought of a breakthrough, however Walsh posted a cut up virtually 4 tenths quicker Saturday in Fort Lauderdale.
Splits Comparability:
Walsh, 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials: 25.45, 55.18 (29.73)
Walsh, 2025 Professional Sequence Prelims: 25.54, 55.09 (29.55)
Walsh, 2025 Professional Sequence Remaining: 25.32, 54.60 (29.32)
The world file is the spotlight of the meet, however Walsh has been unimaginable all through the dash races in Fort Lauderdale. She swam below 53 within the 100 freestyle for the primary time in her profession, and she or he broke the American file within the 50 fly. Minutes after this newest file, she edged Huske and Kasia Wasick for the 50 free win, giving her the world’s prime time for 2025 in all 4 races.
Because the begin of 2024, Walsh has exerted utter dominance over the file books within the 100 fly in all three programs. Along with her lengthy course achievements, she broke the world file within the quick course meters 100 fly on three events on the Brief Course World Championships in Budapest in December. Maggie Mac Neil owned the file in the beginning of the meet at 54.05 earlier than Walsh clocked 53.24 in prelims, 52.87 in semifinals and 52.71 within the ultimate. As for brief course yards, Walsh has damaged the all-time file 4 instances, taking a mark as soon as held by Kate Douglass at 48.46 all the way down to 46.97.
Outcomes
