SwimSwam Pulse is a recurring feature tracking and analyzing the results of our periodic A3 Performance Polls. You can cast your vote in our newest poll on the SwimSwam homepage, about halfway down the page on the right side.
Our most recent poll asked SwimSwam readers if Gretchen Walsh will take down at least one of Sarah Sjostrom‘s LCM 50-meter world records in 2026:
Question: Will Gretchen Walsh break one of Sjostrom’s 50 world records this year?
RESULTS
- Yes – 50 fly (24.43) – 59.4%
- No – 28.7%
- Yes – both – 10.1%
- Yes – 50 free (23.61) – 1.8%
Gretchen Walsh has made producing the fastest swim in history a part of her regular routine over the last few years.
The 23-year-old is the fastest woman in history in the 100 fly across long course meters, short course meters and short course yards, and she also owns the SCM world records in the 50 free, 50 fly and 100 IM, and the U.S. Open and American Records in the SCY 50 free, 100 free and 100 back.
But there’s one record in an event that’s right in her wheelhouse, but still eludes her.
Sarah Sjostrom shattered the world record in the women’s LCM 50 fly in July of 2014, putting up a time of 24.43 at the Swedish Championships to obliterate the previous mark of 25.07 held by fellow Swede Therese Alshammar (25.07).
Since then, Sjostrom has ruled over the event with an iron fist, winning six straight world titles from 2015 through 2024, while breaking 25 seconds an unprecedented 23 times, a feat no one else achieved until Walsh joined her with a 24.93 clocking last May.
Walsh continued that momentum through into last summer, breaking 25 seconds twice at U.S. Nationals, including resetting the American Record to 24.66, the fourth-fastest swim ever, and then winning the 2025 world title in 24.83 with Sjostrom not competing.
When Walsh broke 25 seconds for the first time last May, she also re-broke her own world record in the 100 fly, becoming the first woman under 55 seconds in 54.60, and then 12 months later, she did it again, clocking 54.33 at the Fort Lauderdale Open two weeks ago.
She also raced the 50 fly earlier this month in Fort Lauderdale, posting a time of 25.08, the fifth-fastest swim of her career, though it’s worth noting she opened the 100 fly just one one-hundredth slower in 25.09.
Given the type of form Walsh showed in Fort Lauderdale, it begged the question: Is Sjostrom’s 12-year-old 50 fly world record finally going down this year?
In our most recent poll, we asked SwimSwam readers that exact question, and we also opened it up to the possibility that she could break Sjostrom’s record in the 50 free. Walsh is 23 one-hundredths back of Sjostrom’s WR in the 50 fly, and in the 50 free, she’s exactly three-tenths off the pace (23.61 to 23.91), so the two are comparable, at least from a strictly numerical point of view.
In the poll, a massive 59.4% predict Walsh will take down the 50 fly world record this year, while an additional 10.1% believe she breaks both records, meaning nearly 70% (69.5%) are predicting the 50 fly mark to fall.
Only a sliver of voters selected just the 50 free, which makes sense, given that Walsh has consistently taken big leaps forward in the fly events while slowly chipping time off in freestyle.
In the 50 free, she went 23.91 at last year’s U.S. Nationals, but hasn’t been under 24 on any other occasions. Amid illness, she went 24.31 at the 2025 World Championships (24.40 in the final to finish 4th), and then so far this year, she’s been 24.39 in Westmont and 24.40 in Fort Lauderdale.
There were still 28.7% of voters who said no, the 50 fly world record won’t go down this year. Sjostrom’s 24.43 is a magical mark, and based on video, there appeared to have been a bit of a tailwind when she delivered that performance.
Although Walsh has consistently been raising the bar in every other sprint fly event, this is the one where she doesn’t have at least one turn to lean on her exceptional underwater work, which figures to be a reason why it will be the toughest record to claim.
Sjostrom has returned to competition this year after giving birth in 2025, but the two won’t be going head-to-head, at least at a long course championship this summer, as Sjostrom will be racing at the European Championships and Walsh will be at Pan Pacs.
Below, vote in our new A3 Performance Poll, which asks: Who is the leading candidate to lead off the U.S. men’s 4×100 medley relay in 2027:
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The A3 Performance Poll is courtesy of A3 Performance, a SwimSwam partner.
As of May, 2026, Gretchen Walsh is to butterfly what Regan Smith is to backstroke. Both are world champions and world record holders. Neither is an individual Olympic gold medalist. Records are not ever-lasting. Individual Olympic gold medals are. Nothing matters until Los Angeles 2028.
80% of Americans and 10% of non-Americans
It’s definitely possible after that 100 fly world record and she’s like two tenths away
Not possible. Sjostrom is the GOAT of sprinting
Walsh literally the only swimmer besides Sjostrom who has been sub 25 in this event and two tenths away from the world record , how is it not possible
I am a big Sarah fan, but I do believe that Gretchen Walsh will break that 50 Fly world record this year. Even though Sarah swam the 50 Fly well at the 2009 World Champs it was not until 2014 when she really took off to lead the event for the next 10 years even though there were tough competition during those years from Fran Halsall, Jeanette Ottesen, Ying Lu, Rikako Iree, Holly Barratt, Melanie Henique, Ranomi Kromowidjojo, Yufei Zhang, Gretchen Walsh (swimmers with a Top 10 time for at least one season during those 10 years).
For the last 2 years it has been Gretchen Walsh that has dominated the 50 Fly with Kate Douglass getting a few Top… Read more »
I wanted to add (but I guess I waited to long) that Gretchen went under 25 seconds 4 times in 2025 and Sarah has only done that during 3 different years (5 times in 2024, 4 times in 2023, 5 times in 2017) as another argument for a World record.