Walsh’s World Record Onslaught Gives Her $187K In Earnings Through Four Days of SC Worlds

2024 Short Course World Championships

Gretchen Walsh has been taking World Aquatics to the cleaners over the first four days of the Short Course World Championships in Budapest, racking up gold medals and world records to earn a staggering amount of prize money.

Sitting with $66,250 in earnings after Day 2, Walsh eclipsed the $100,000 barrier on Thursday and then ran the tab all the way up to a stunning $187,916.67 after a dominant performance on Friday.

Walsh broke three world records on the day, setting a new mark in the prelims of the women’s 100 fly (53.24) and then doubling up during the evening session, setting new records in the women’s 100 fly semis (52.87) and the 100 IM final (55.11).

Those three records alone gave her $75,000 in winnings on the day, and add that to the $10,000 she picked up for winning gold in the 100 IM.

Overall, the 21-year-old has broken six individual world records, one relay world record, and won four gold medals through four nights of racing in Budapest.

Walsh’s World Records Swims At SC Worlds

• Women’s 50 fly (prelims) –24.02
• Women’s 50 fly (semis) – 23.94
• Women’s 4×100 free relay (final) – USA, 3:25.01
• Women’s 100 IM (semis) – 55.71
• Women’s 100 fly (prelims) – 53.24
• Women’s 100 fly (semis) – 52.87
• Women’s 100 IM (final) – 55.11

Her American teammate and Virginia training partner Kate Douglass has also eclipsed the $100,000 barrier, now sitting with $102,916.67 in winnings after adding to her total with a gold medal and new world record in the women’s 200 breast on Friday.

Douglass also picked up the $10,000 Double Crown bonus in the 200 breast, having won it all three stops of the World Cup and now claiming the SC world title.

The other swimmers who have earned Double Crowns thus far are Noe Ponti (men’s 50 fly), Regan Smith (women’s 100 back) and Tang Qianting (women’s 100 breast).

After winning the men’s 100 IM on Friday, Ponti now ranks third on the money list with $80,000, while Smith broke the world record in the final of the women’s 50 back to bring her total up to $64,000.

Not in action on Friday was Canadian Summer McIntosh, who ranks fourth in prize money thus far after breaking world records in the women’s 400 free and 200 fly and winning gold in both.

Prize Money Earnings Through Day 4 – Top 5

1. Gretchen Walsh (USA) – $187,916.67
2. Kate Douglass (USA) – $102,916.67
3. Noe Ponti (SUI) – $80,000
4. Summer McIntosh (CAN) – $71,116.67
5. Regan Smith (USA) – $64,000

Moving into sixth on the money list on Friday was American Luke Hobson, who broke the world record in the men’s 200 free leading off the 4×200 free relay, and then the American team ended up demolishing the world record in the relay to give him a cool $32,916.67 in one swim.

A total of $1,795,000 has been awarded thus far.

Notes:

1. NCAA swimmers can keep prize money up to their expenses; then there is a massive loophole where they can accept rewards from their National Olympic Committees, so as long as the rest of their prize money is funneled through those organizations (checks are all written to national federations, not athletes directly), it’s kosher.
2. We’ve made the assumption that the four members of finals relays share the money equally. There is no rule about how money should be divided between members of a relay, so we’ll never officially know how much is awarded to each athlete, so we’re using this estimate.

Credit to Barry Revzin for running the numbers

FULL PRIZE MONEY RANKINGS – THROUGH DAY 4