Sisters Gretchen Walsh and Alex Walsh appeared on the CavFutures podcast that went live yesterday, and they answered some burning questions and provided insight into their goals for this week’s meet.
When asked about their swimming goals for this year, Gretchen expressed her desire to set records “as low as [she] could, so that they could stay as long as possible”. These goals include a 19 in the women’s 50 freestyle and 46 in the 100 fly. She did not share a 100 freestyle goal on the podcast, but she mentioned later that she had wanted to go under 1:40 in the 200 freestyle, which she did leading off the 800 freestyle relay at ACCs.
Alex didn’t give any specific numerical goals, but she did talk about her decision to swim the 200 fly. Last year, Walsh set the 200 fly NCAA record at the ACC Championships, swimming 1:49.16. She did not swim the event at NCAAs, however, opting to swim the 200 breaststroke where she finished 1st in 2:02.07. This year, she came into the season wanting to swim the 200 fly, setting the goal to “rebreak the record or set a new best time”. She did mention a desire to win the event, but she went on to say that it was going to be a good and highly anticipated race, presumably talking about her battle with reigning champion Emma Sticklen, from Texas, who went 1:49.17 at the SEC Championships.
They also talked about growing up in swimming, and when they realized they could be great. Their mom was a swimmer, but they both emphasized that their parents never pressured them to compete or perform a certain way. Alex said that when she was 12, she broke a National Age Group Record and her parents looked at her in the car on the way home, telling her that this was a big deal. Walsh held four 11-12 NAG records in the 100 back, 200 back, 200 breast, and 100 IM, all of which she set in March of 2014.
Gretchen shared that her moment of realization came a few years later in 2016 when she was the youngest Olympic Trials Swimmer Eve in the women’s 50 freestyle. At just 13-year-old, she swam 25.96 in the event to qualify for the meet. At the Trials, she finished in a three-way tie for 125th, swimming 26.55.
They ended the podcast by talking about their favorite and least favorite events. Gretchen said that her least favorite event, at least that she has swum recently, is the 200 freestyle. She also said that the 100 breaststroke was her favorite and the ‘most fun’, but if she’s considering only events she swims regularly, then her favorite is the 100 fly.
Alex said that her least favorite event was the 200 back, and that this was one of the catalysts behind her getting better at other things so that she could drop the event from her meet schedule. Her favorite race is the 200 IM.
Watch the Full Podcast Here:
at 27:00, what pun that was not intended could there even have been?
If we got sub 20 performances in the 50 SCM free, women’s 50 yard free, and men’s 50 yard back in the same year, I don’t even know what I would do.
The growth in Gretchen’s confidence over the last four years is pretty remarkable. The way she speaks and carries herself here is so cool and collected. Props to her for THAT work, because that’s harder than the swimming sometimes.
AW with the 200 fly goal since the fall… this is gonna be one great race
Makes sense! She probably did more fly than breast training with the meniscus issue
Gretchens reaction time was .65 at 2016 trials! rare Gretchen fact
Wild bro
Prudent to talk about it after 19 is achieved BUT the young will learn. Hope to see it but doubtful at this NCAA