The United States team has been on fire through three days of racing at the Short Course World Championships in Budapest, setting numerous records and sitting atop the medal table with seven gold medals.
The Americans have won gold in three relays thus far, setting world records in all of them, and the one that caught everyone off guard the most came on Thursday in the women’s 4×200 free relay.
With the U.S. sending a smaller squad than usual to the championships, they were missing some of their go-to 200 freestylers we’ve seen on past relays, most notably Katie Ledecky, but it ultimately didn’t matter as the team surprised everyone by breaking the world record and winning gold by more than three seconds.
Alex Walsh (1:53.25), Paige Madden (1:53.18), Katie Grimes (1:53.39) and Claire Weinstein (1:50.31) combined for a time of 7:30.13, lowering the world record of 7:30.87 set by the Australians at the 2022 Short Course Worlds in Melbourne.
World Record Split Comparison
| USA, 2024 | Australia, 2022 |
| Alex Walsh — 1:53.25 | Madi Wilson — 1:53.13 |
| Paige Madden — 1:53.18 | Mollie O’Callaghan — 1:52.83 |
| Katie Grimes — 1:53.39 | Leah Neale — 1:52.67 |
| Claire Weinstein — 1:50.31 | Lani Pallister — 1:52.24 |
| 7:30.13 | 7:30.87 |
The U.S. team sat in third after Walsh’s lead-off leg, moved into second at the halfway mark, and then Grimes grabbed the lead swimming third. From there, Weinstein dominated on the anchor leg, throwing down the fastest split in history of 1:50.31 as they soared to gold by a wide margin over the hometown Hungarians and defending champion Australia.
RACE VIDEO
Courtesy: NBC Sports (USA only)
RACE VIDEO
Courtesy: Olympic swimming (international)
The victory marked the first short course world title for the U.S. women in the 4×200 free relay since 2012.
ABOUT FLUIDRA
At Fluidra, our mission is to create the perfect pool experience for all aquatic enthusiasts, from recreational swimmers to competitive athletes. We believe the perfect race starts with the perfect pool, which is why we provide superior, high-performance equipment and accessories. Whether for racing or relaxation, our leading brands — including S.R. Smith, Jandy, and Polaris and more — ensure an optimal aquatic environment, enhancing every swim experience.
SOCIAL
LINKEDIN: @Fluidra North America
FACEBOOK: @Fluidra North America
YOUTUBE: @FluidraNorthAmerica
INSTAGRAM @jandypool
FACEBOOK: @srsmithpools
INSTAGRAM: @srsmithpools
YOUTUBE: @srsmith
Fluidra is a SwimSwam Partner.
