2024 SHORT COURSE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
- December 10-15, 2024
- Duna Arena, Budapest, Hungary
- SCM (25m)
- Meet Central
- Roster Index
- SwimSwam Preview Index
- Pick’em
- Psych Sheets
- Live Results
- Prelims Live Recap: Day 1
- Finals Live Recap: Day 1
Sophie Kaufman contributed to this report.
Gretchen Walsh has done it again.
Just hours after shattering the super-suited world record in the women’s 50 butterfly, clocking 24.02 in the prelims, Walsh became the first swimmer under the 24-second barrier in the semi-finals on Tuesday at the 2024 Short Course World Championships in Budapest.
The American superstar blasted her way to a time of 23.94, knocking eight one-hundredths off her previous mark and putting her 44 one-hundredths clear of anyone else in history.
🚨 Gretchen Walsh becomes the first woman ever to swim the 50m Butterfly under 24 seconds, setting a new World Record at 23.94! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/UbGCp35eK6
— World Aquatics (@WorldAquatics) December 10, 2024
The 21-year-old Olympian broke Therese Alshammar’s 15-year-old world record of 24.38 in the prelims before her blazing-fast 23.94 outing in the evening.
After her prelim swim, Walsh said her goal for the semis was to break 24 seconds.
ALL-TIME PERFORMERS, WOMEN’S SCM 50 FLY
- Gretchen Walsh, USA – 23.94 (2024)
- Therese Alshammar, SWE – 24.38 (2009)
- Kate Douglass, USA – 24.42 (2024)
- Ranomi Kromowidjojo, NED – 24.44 (2021)
- Sarah Sjostrom, SWE – 24.50 (2021)
- Claire Curzan, USA – 24.55 (2021)
- Melanie Henique, FRA – 24.56 (2019)
- Inge Dekker, NED – 24.59 (2014)
- Torri Huske, USA / Maggie MacNeil, CAN – 24.64 (2022)
- –
RACE VIDEO
Gretchen Walsh by a FINGERNAIL!
A new short course world record set in Budapest in the women’s 50m butterfly.
📺 Peacock | #AQUABudapest2024 pic.twitter.com/i5yuJeQyVS
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) December 10, 2024
In the prelims, Walsh also broke Kate Douglass‘ American Record of 24.42, set just over a month ago on the World Cup circuit.
Walsh now owns two world records in short course meters, plus four American Records, despite only having a handful of swims under her belt in the format.
She also holds the world record in the women’s 100 IM (55.98), and owns additional American Records in the 50 free (23.10) and 50 back (25.37).
I’ll be surprised if she breaks the WR again given her history of swimming slower times in the finals but I hope she proves me wrong.
Has anyone ever broken a world record each time through prelims, semis, and then finals ?
Conversion time: 23.94 is approximately 21.45 in yards. She would have placed 4th at NCAA’s in the 50 free with that time. Maybe she can swim fly in prelims at ACC’s or at a dual meet just to see.
21.75 taking it out at NCAAs this year so for once the converter may not be on something
Lane 8 went past 15m going out…
Short course worlds tailor made for the greatest collegiate swimmer of all time!
Back up the brink’s truck, cuz this is gonna get real!
💰💰
Only complaint is that she needs to break her own WR by just 0.01 to get maximal opportunities to cash in 🤑🤑
I’ll set the over under at 9.5 world records set (including relays), noting she already has 2.
Scary to think she can go faster at finals.
Please, please, please do away with all the underwater camera footage. Really tough to actually watch a race..
This being said, massive kudos to GW!
But 60% of the race is underwater
True but at the start I could only see about 4 swimmers, not Gretchen. Would be different if we got a shot of every competitor. Not so.
It’s a sc 50,the race IS underwater. No UW camera’s? Might as well just turn the tv off
*Swim coaches everywhere disliked this*
Pretty amazing to watch the best short course swimmer of all time. Her performances are great for the sport
Very lucky to witness this and will be fun to watch her in LA in 2028