2025 World Championships
- July 27 – August 3, 2025 (pool swimming)
- Singapore, Singapore
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Day 5 Prelims Heat Sheet
USA Swimming has announced more event changes. Gretchen Walsh will not compete in prelims of the women’s 100 freestyle and Josh Matheny will not swim in prelims of the men’s 200 breaststroke.
Events update:
Gretchen Walsh will not be swimming the 100m freestyle and Josh Matheny will not be swimming the 200m breaststroke. #AQUASingapore2025
— USA Swimming (@USASwimming) July 31, 2025
The two join Torri Huske and Claire Weinstein who have already dropped events from their lineups even before prelims. Huske dropped the 100 fly while Weinstein dropped the 400 freestyle. Huske went on to help the US women to silver in the 4×100 free relay while Weinstein notably returned to competition and swam to bronze in the women’s 200 free.
Walsh was the #5 seed in the 100 freestyle. This means that #2 seeded Huske will be the lone American in the event. Walsh has already won gold in the meet as she won the 100 butterfly on night 2. She was expected to swim on the US women’s 4×100 free relay but a late change of relay lineup brought Erin Gemmell in for the US.
Matheny was the #10 seed in the men’s 200 breast. #7 seeded AJ Pouch will now be the only American in the event. Pouch is making his debut representing the US at a major long course international meet.
Matheny already raced the 100 breast this week where he 7th in a 59.26. He notched a personal best 59.15 for 5th in semifinals in the event.
The US has been battling “acute gastroenteritis” after food poisoning was originally suspected to be the cause back at the team’s training camp in Thailand. Italy’s Nicolo Martinenghi, portions of the British team, and Australian Sam Short have also been dealing with GI issues.
Update: a spokesperson from USA Swimming released the following statement:
You may notice some changes in the lineup this morning. Notably, Gretchen is not racing the 100 free. We’ve adjusted our entries today as part of broader race management plans for the team. We will not be commenting on individual athlete health.
The statement runs counter to information from USA Swimming earlier in the meet that said there were “no plans to do any additional ‘strategic’ scratches” and that if an athlete wasn’t swimming, it was due to health.
If they had their training camp at the USOPTC like the para swimmers, they wouldn’t have gotten sick.
Plot twist.
Difficult to think the entire team (swimmers) could develop acute gastroenteritis issues, yet none of the coaching staff… Could there have been an issue with something in the training pool in Thailand? I think that is a possibility to be considered. Something in the training pool water perhaps that all swimmers got into their mouths?
Do we know that none of the coaches got it?
Unless you’ve had food poisoning during a big competition, don’t pretend to know what they are going through. It is one of the worst feelings you can have.
if i no definitely win gold, i scratch
She must be sick. Who’s wimpy enough to scratch a 100 to save energy for 50s? YIKES. It’s like no one can handle a full program anymore except Summer.
She did it on the first day with the relay to focus on 100 fly and both 50s probably her best event this year while 100 free is her weakest
Summer, we assume, hasn’t had a nasty debilitating illness to deal with.
How is there any difference between them? husks pulled out of the 100 fly and now Walsh has pulled out of the 100 free
Its a shame to remember previous generations take on the gauntlet of several events on top of relays with no questions asked to now see an athlete clearly on form now scratching an event that many believe is a toss up at these championships. I guess the 50 Fly WR is now the target.
The sport has definitely changed from a training standpoint to account for faster athletes in the short pool but I do wonder if we’ll continue to see this happen more and more often at these meets with the American athletes not trained by Bob/Nesty.
Strange thing to say given Bob’s premier athlete openly cut events from his program to focus on getting a world record.
USA Swimming spokesman: