Gretchen Walsh Shatters 100m Butterfly World Record at US Olympic Trials

Gretchen Walsh, a standout swimmer hailing from Nashville, Tennessee, made waves on Saturday night at the U.S. Olympic swimming trials. In a remarkable feat, Walsh set a new world record in the women’s 100-meter butterfly event.

The 21-year-old University of Virginia athlete stunned spectators with her performance, posting a jaw-dropping time of 55.18 seconds. This exceptional time surpassed the previous record set by Sweden’s Sarah Sjöström during the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

Following her incredible race, Walsh expressed surprise at her own achievement, clearly overwhelmed as she glanced at the scoreboard to see a «WR» next to her name. The young swimmer attributed part of her success to feeling stronger in short-course pools.

Walsh’s victory, although groundbreaking, is only the beginning of her Olympic journey. She now faces a fierce competition in the final, where she will compete against other prominent swimmers, including Torri Huske, Regan Smith, and Claire Curzan – all distinguished medalists from the Tokyo Games.

Despite achieving a world record, Walsh remains focused on further growth. She believes there is still untapped potential in her performance and aims to push her limits even higher in the upcoming races.

Rachel Iacovone, the Director of Multiplatform Publishing at WPLN, shared insights into Walsh’s notable achievement, highlighting the young swimmer’s journey from Nashville to the U.S. Olympic Trials stage. With a background in covering politics in Florida, Iacovone has witnessed Walsh’s impressive rise in the swimming world.