Alex Walsh on 200 IM After Season of Focusing on Breaststroke: “I’m ready to be faster”

2025 U.S. NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

Coming off of an Olympic season where she put much of her focus on the 200 IM, NCAA icon Alex Walsh decided to take a break from training for the 200 IM this season. Working more on her breaststroke and speed, Walsh saw the fruits of her labor pay off both in short course and long course. But after the US Nationals where she won the 200 IM but didn’t put up a perfect race, Walsh is now ready to put a bit more emphasis on the 200 IM again moving into World Championships.

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Sparkle
1 day ago

Can anyone point me to the interview where this “dulling the knife” comments comes up? Keep seeing it thrown around on here but not the actual interview

Last 15 Meters
Reply to  Sparkle
1 day ago

Google alex walsh “dulling the knife” for the article

She shared it during a media availability call last year when explaining why she was dropping the 400 IM.

The complete video of that call has since been mysteriously scrubbed though… 😬💀

TomDeanBoxall
Reply to  Sparkle
1 day ago

I think she’s also mentioned in perhaps the first Unfiltered Waters podcast she did about how after Tokyo she saw on SwimSwam a commenter challenging her to win both the 4IM and 2IM at the next games. Said it was before McIntosh came onto the scene, and I might be remembering wrong, mentioned how she wanted to focus on the 2IM.

800 medley relay
Reply to  TomDeanBoxall
1 day ago

yes i remember that! i think that, had she gotten the eastin record, that could have motivated her to pursue it farther, but she never really liked it

Jarvis hart
1 day ago

Alex is class act and I hope she drops time she should focus on the 400 Im again and add 200 free and do the relay.

Go Bucky
1 day ago

I hate to jump on this train but I wonder if now that she’s graduated maybe it’s time to consider exploring other programs…?

Thomas The Tank Engine
Reply to  Go Bucky
1 day ago

For example..?

Go Bucky
Reply to  Thomas The Tank Engine
1 day ago

Honestly you know who had a great IM group was Stanford…. But obviously a lot of unknowns out there rn

Bobthebuilderrocks
Reply to  Thomas The Tank Engine
1 day ago

A&M with Blaire

Awsi Dooger
Reply to  Go Bucky
1 day ago

She has a sister who competes nearby

Walsh-Madden-Grimes-Weinstein
1 day ago

This is what happens when you let the inmates run the asylum.

“But coach, I don’t want to swim the 400 IM this season.”

The Joseph Stalin approach:

“Suck it up, buttercup.”

Rule with an iron fist.

Last edited 1 day ago by Walsh-Madden-Grimes-Weinstein
Last 15 Meters
Reply to  Walsh-Madden-Grimes-Weinstein
1 day ago

What about when the warden is telling the inmate they don’t need to swim the 400 IM? 😵‍💫

Go Bucky
Reply to  Walsh-Madden-Grimes-Weinstein
1 day ago

Wasn’t Todd in support of her dropping it?

Last edited 1 day ago by Go Bucky
Eddie
Reply to  Go Bucky
1 day ago

I mean, she could do 4 IM practices for an aerobic base and still not race it. Look how well that’s working for Torri Huske

Go Bucky
Reply to  Eddie
21 hours ago

Yep she could. But Todd was wanting her to embark on this “sprint revolution” if I’m understanding correctly. Her 50s and 100s were great at NCAA’s and all her 200s were a little off. I think she was working on sprint breastroke a lot for the relays

Last edited 21 hours ago by Go Bucky
swimming on hate
1 day ago

Sprint revolution 🥲

Eddie
1 day ago

At the 2021 trials, she was a 31.9 backstroke split – cut to last week and she’s 32.9. I’m definitely hoping she can get down to a 2:07, maybe even 2:06 when racing McIntosh

Go Bucky
Reply to  Eddie
1 day ago

It would be great to see her go a PB in this event, I think her last PB was in 2022?

Eddie
Reply to  Go Bucky
1 day ago

Yah but her DQ’d time was also a PB before it wasn’t

Go Bucky
Reply to  Eddie
21 hours ago

Right but that doesn’t count as she didn’t swim that race legally

Eddie
Reply to  Go Bucky
16 hours ago

right but I’m just saying that technically she’s been recently capable of going a best time even if it didn’t count

sjostrom stan
1 day ago

she’s giving swimswam commenters a treat with this one

Walsh-Madden-Grimes-Weinstein
1 day ago

LOL!

So it’s back to 400 IM training to build up the aerobic base.

About Coleman Hodges

Coleman Hodges

Coleman started his journey in the water at age 1, and although he actually has no memory of that, something must have stuck. A Missouri native, he joined the Columbia Swim Club at age 9, where he is still remembered for his stylish dragon swim trunks. After giving up on …

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