2024 Short Course World Championships: Gretchen Walsh Wins Her First Individual Gold

On day two of the 2024 Short Course World Championships, Gretchen Walsh won her first individual gold in the 50-meter butterfly. The 21-year-old claimed the win in 24.01 with four tenths of the lead, followed by France’s Beryl Gastaldello at 24.43. Australia’s Alexandria Perkins claimed the bronze in 24.68, lowering the 15-year-old super-suited Oceanic record set by Marieke Guehrer in 2009.

In a previous article, I wrote about how Gretchen Walsh is expected to lower records in Budapest. Following her performance in the 25-yard pool at the 2024 Tennessee Invite, the swimmer maintained her momentum and underwater strength in the short-course pools by setting a new record in the 50-meter butterfly on day one. In the prelims, Walsh managed to touch the wall in 23.94, taking down Swedish swimmer Therese Alshammar’s super-suited record by 0.36 seconds. With this time, the double Olympic champion became the first swimmer to claim the record in the 24-sub; however, her plans to create history did not stop there. Shortly after, in the semifinals, Walsh maintained the record-breaking streak and took 0.08 off her own record.

“I guess that was the new goal after this mornings 24. Swimming under the 24 mark was pretty insane, I am honestly just hoping that I can go faster and keep the streak going,” a stoked Walsh said as she discussed her experience lowering the record twice.

The records lowered by Walsh and Perkins were set during the shining 2009 supersuit era. Swimmers were allowed to wear polyurethane suits, providing swimmers, especially those with large bodies, a huge advantage. At the 2008 Olympics, 23 world records were set by swimmers wearing high-tech LZR swimsuits by Speedo made with the help of NASA.

However, the super-suits era officially came to an end after the World Aquatics officially banned those suits in January 2010. Since 14 years ago, many swimmers have been able to lower down the suited records with pure textile material suits. One of the oldest record, the 400-meter individual medley record set by Michael Phelps in 2008, was also shattered by Leon Marchand at the 2023 Worlds.

With Walsh’s performance in the 50 butterfly, she was able to set her third world record in 2024. At the US Olympic trials, she won the 100-meter butterfly in a record-breaking time of 55.18. Taking off more than half a second from Sarah Sjostrom’s record set at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Shortly after, in October, at the NCAA dual meet against Florida, Walsh broke the 100-meter IM world record in a 25-meter pool. Posting a time of 55.98, she shattered the 100-meter individual medley record set by Hungary’s Katinka Hosszu in 2017.

So far, Gretchen Walsh’s 2024 year’s performance has showcased her prowess in both Olympic-sized pools and short course pools. The swimmer is now expected to win the 100-freestyle event as well. In the semi-final, she emerged as a top seed, breaking the Championships record of 50.77 set by Australia’s Emma McKeon in 2022.