Beryl Gastaldello Jumps To #4 All-Time With New French Record In Women’s 50 Fly (24.43)

2024 Short Course World Championships

• December 10-15, 2024
• Duna Arena, Budapest, Hungary
• SCM (25m)
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Beryl Gastaldello has been impressive through four sessions of the 2024 Short Course World Championships in Budapest, finishing off a double on Wednesday with a new French Record and one of the fastest swims in history in the women’s 50 butterfly.

After winning in the first of two semi-finals in the women’s 100 freestyle, qualifying second into tomorrow’s final in a time of 51.56, Gastaldello was back in the water less than an hour later in the final of the 50 fly.

The 29-year-old touched in a time of 24.43, winning the silver medal and breaking the French National Record of 24.56 set by Melanie Henique in 2019.

Gastaldello moves into #4 all-time in the event, with gold medalist Gretchen Walsh having broken the world record in the semis (23.94) before winning Wednesday’s final in 24.01.

Prior to Walsh’s initial record-setting swim of 24.02 in the prelims, Gastaldello’s swim in the final would’ve fallen just five one-hundredths shy of what had stood as the world record for 15 years, the 24.38 set by Therese Alshammar in 2009.

All-Time Performers, Women’s 50 Butterfly (SCM)

1. Gretchen Walsh (USA), 23.94 – 2024
2. Therese Alshammar (SWE), 24.38 – 2009
3. Kate Douglass (USA), 24.42 – 2024
4. Beryl Gastaldello (FRA), 24.43 – 2024
5. Ranomi Kromowidjojo (NED), 24.44 – 2021
6. Sarah Sjostrom (SWE), 24.50 – 2021
7. Claire Curzan (USA), 24.55 – 2021
8. Melanie Henique (FRA), 24.56 – 2019
9. Inge Dekker (NED), 24.59 – 2014
10. Torri Huske (USA) / Maggie MacNeil (CAN), 24.64 – 2022

In addition to the French Record, Gastaldello’s swim also marks her first best time in the event in four years, having set her previous mark of 24.75 in October 2020 during the second ISL season.

At the 2024 French Elite Championships in early November, she narrowly missed that time in 24.76.

Adding the 50 fly to the list, Gastaldello now owns four French Records in short course meters, also owning the 100 free (51.16), 100 back (56.07) and 100 IM (57.30).

She now has four SC World Championship medals to her name, having won gold in the mixed 4×50 free relay in 2022, and back-to-back silvers in the 100 IM in 2021 and 2022.