2025 SWIMMING WORLD CUP – CARMEL
- October 10-12, 2025
- Carmel, Indiana
- SCM (25 meters)
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The first prelims session of the 2025 World Cup– Carmel went off this morning and many of the stars were out, but World Record Holder Gretchen Walsh will be in one less event tonight.
After qualifying 2nd in both the 50 free and 100 IM this morning, Walsh has scratched out of the 50 free final, moving 9th place finisher Katharine Berkoff into her spot. Berkoff is also in the 50 backstroke as the 2nd event, which is estimated to swim about 40 minutes before the 50 free.
This morning, she swam the events back-to-back with only eight heats of men’s 50 free and three heats of women’s 100 IM between. Tonight, that break would have been cut down to just a single heat of men’s 50 fee with an estimated 11 minutes between events.
Walsh was originally entered in three events this morning, adding the 50 backstroke to her schedule, but she no-showed the event earlier in the session.
Her scratch has implications beyond just tonight’s final. She has confirmed her presence at all three World Cup stops, and as the World Record holder in the 50 free, she would have been the favorite to win the event at all three stops, earning a $10,000 bonus in her prize money.
She will no longer be able to win the Triple Crown in the 50 free, but if she wins the 100 IM tonight, where she is also the World Record holder and favorite, she will check off the first win for the Triple Crown in that event.
She was the only scratch of the session.
Nothing like pissing off the fan base. Bait and switch.
Smart move. We all saw what happened in Paris when Dressel tried to pull off the punishing 50 free/100 fly double.
Liendo did it too
This is a good chance to practice swimming two events at a meet that’s not worlds and the Olympics so the US can use their best swimmers to not miss out on relay finals…..but nope! Nothing changes
I was looking forward to seeing our Aussie swimmers go up against Smith/Walsh. It’s a shame that the field will be weaker now in the 50 free and back. No Regan vs Kaylee vs Walsh, and don’t get to see if Mollie or Perkins can challenge Walsh. Still looking forward to those races, it just would be nice as a viewer if there were less scratches/no-shows. Very interested at how Kaylee goes in the 50
It sucks that the way to payouts are it incentivizes athletes to not do double
Wish she would have done the 50 back in stead. Really want to see it at some point here
Totally agree. The World Aquatics rule is so stupid. The fun of short course swimming is to see athletes swim as many events as they can. They swam 3-4 events a session at ISL.
World Aquatics wouldn’t know their knee from their elbow. Stupid rule that takes fun away from the meet.
It was intentional, they did it back when there was 6-9 stops and Katinka was winning 6-9 events at each stop.
strange Gretchen didn’t swim the 50Back and scratch the 50Free for the 100IM this morning?
long break between 50Back and 100IM this evening
world record try maybe?