Gretchen Walsh, a 21-year-old from Nashville, Tennessee who swims for the University of Virginia, made history on Saturday night at the U.S. Olympic swimming trials in Indianapolis by setting a world record in the women’s 100-meter butterfly. She clocked in at 55.18 seconds in a semifinal heat, surpassing the previous record of 55.48 seconds held by Sweden’s Sarah Sjöström from the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
Walsh was more than half a second ahead of world-record pace at the halfway point and despite feeling like she was struggling in the pool, she managed to maintain her speed and break the record. She was in disbelief when she saw the “WR” next to her name on the scoreboard.
Despite her record-breaking performance, Walsh still has to secure a spot on her first Olympic team. In the final on Sunday night, she will be up against tough competition from Torri Huske, Regan Smith, and Claire Curzan, all of whom are medalists from the Tokyo Games.
Walsh believes that she can go even faster in the 100-meter butterfly and remains focused on improving her time and securing her place on the Olympic team. The buzz surrounding her phenomenal swim is a testament to her talent and determination to succeed at the highest level.