2025 Pro Swim Series – Fort Lauderdale
- Wednesday, April 30 – Saturday, May 3, 2025
- Fort Lauderdale, Florida
- Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Center
- LCM (50 meters)
- Meet Central
- Psych Sheets
- Live Results
- Live Recaps
- Prelims: Day 2 | Day 3
- Finals: Day 1 (Timed Finals) | Day 2 | Day 3
During the third finals session of the 2025 Pro Swim Series stop in Fort Lauderdale, 22-year-old Gretchen Walsh delivered a sensational swim in the 50 butterfly, clocking 24.93 to break her own American record, top the world rankings, set a new Pro Swim Series record, and become the second woman in history to ever break the 25-second barrier.
Prior to today, Walsh ranked 4th on the all-time performers list in the event, tied with Japan’s Rikako Ikee at 25.11.
Walsh’s swim tonight seemed imminent after she scorched a 25.15 in prelims, erasing Farida Osman‘s six-year-old Pro Swim Series record of 25.65 and nearly surpassing her own now-shattered American record.
Walsh joins Swedish world record holder Sarah Sjostrom under 25 seconds, marking a major milestone. Walsh’s time tonight checks in as the 13th fastest ever recorded in the event’s history. Previously, Sjostrom, the six-time defending world champion who is sitting out this season after announcing her pregnancy, held the top 24 individual performances in this event. However, following Walsh’s performance, Sjostrom now holds the top 12 times.
You can view the full list of the quickest-ever times below.
Women’s 50 LCM Butterfly, Top 30 Performances All-Time:
| Rank | Time | Swimmer | Year |
| 1 | 24.43 | Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) | 2014 |
| 2 | 24.60 | Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) | 2017 |
| 3 | 24.63 | Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) | 2024 |
| 4 | 24.69 | Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) | 2015 |
| 5 | 24.74 | Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) | 2023 |
| 6 | 24.76 | Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) | 2017 |
| 7 | 24.77 | Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) | 2023 |
| 8 | 24.79 | Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) | 2019 |
| 9 | 24.87 | Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) | 2014 |
| 10 | 24.88 | Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) | 2024 |
| 11 | 24.89 | Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) | 2023 |
| 12 | 24.90 | Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) | 2017 |
| 13 | 24.93 | Gretchen Walsh (USA) | 2025 |
| 14 | 24.95 | Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) | 2022 |
| 14 | 24.95 | Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) | 2017 |
| 16 | 24.96 | Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) | 2015 |
| 16 | 24.96 | Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) | 2017 |
| 16 | 24.96 | Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) | 2022 |
| 19 | 24.97 | Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) | 2023 |
| 20 | 24.98 | Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) | 2014 |
| 21 | 24.99 | Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) | 2016 |
| 22 | 25.02 | Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) | 2017 |
| 22 | 25.02 | Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) | 2019 |
| 24 | 25.04 | Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) | 2023 |
| 24 | 25.04 | Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) | 2023 |
| 26 | 25.05 | Zhang Yufei (CHN) | 2023 |
| 26 | 25.05 | Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) | 2022 |
| 28 | 25.06 | Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) | 2015 |
| 28 | 25.06 | Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) | 2023 |
| 30 | 25.07 | Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) | 2023 |
| 30 | 25.07 | Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) | 2018 |
| 30 | 25.07 | Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) | 2015 |
| 30 | 25.07 | Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) | 2016 |
| 30 | 25.07 | Therese Alshammar (SWE) | 2009 |
Women’s 50 LCM Butterfly, Top 10 Performers All-Time:
- 24.43 — Sarah Sjostrom (Sweden), 2014
- 24.93 — Gretchen Walsh (USA), 2025*
- 25.05 — Zhang Yufei (China), 2023
- 25.07 — Therese Alshammar (Sweden), 2009
- 25.11 — Rikako Ikee (Japan), 2018
- 25.17 — Melanie Henique (France), 2021
- 25.20 — Francesca Halsall (Great Britain), 2014
- 25.24 — Jeanette Ottesen (Denmark), 2013
- 25.24 — Ranomi Kromowidjojo (Netherlands), 2021
- 25.28 — Marleen Veldhuis (Netherlands), 2009
Todd Desorbo-trained Walsh made waves last night with her first-ever sub-53 performance in the 100 free. Clocking 52.90, Walsh defeated the Olympic silver medalist in the event, Torri Huske (52.95), and Kate Douglass, the 2023 U.S. National Champion and 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials winner (53.61).
Outside of the long course pool, Walsh has firmly established herself as the top short course swimmer on the planet. While her dominance in short course yards was already evident during her standout career at the University of Virginia, she finally had the opportunity to showcase that ability in short course meters last year—and did so in spectacular fashion..
She exploded at the Short Course World Championships this past December. There, she earned seven gold medals, set 11 world records across six different events (including two relays), and rewrote the record books in the 50 free (22.83), 50 fly (23.94), 100 fly (52.71), and 100 IM (55.11). She also posted the second-fastest time ever in the 100 free at 50.31.
Walsh’s big breakout on the long course international stage began at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials, where she opened with a world record in the 100 fly (55.18) and followed it with a 55.31 in the final—the second-fastest performance in history—to secure her place on the Olympic team. She also qualified in the 50 and 100 free events. At the Paris Games, she claimed silver in the 100 fly (55.63, behind Huske), finished 4th in the 50 free (24.21), and touched 8th in the 100 free (53.04). She also earned three relay medals: two golds in the women’s 4×100 medley and mixed 4×100 medley relays, and one silver in the 4×100 free relay.
Walsh enters this season as a strong contender for gold in the 50 fly at the World Championships, a co-favorite with teammate Huske in the 100 fly, and a serious medal threat in both sprint free events. Her 2024 world rankings reflect this status: #1 in the 100 fly (55.18), #2 in the 50 fly (25.20), #6 in the 50 free (24.06), and #12 in the 100 free (53.04).
Race Video:
Courtesy: NBC Sports
The 50s should have been added for the women but not the men. We needed a topic.
I don’t understand your point, could you elaborate ?
Cray cray she was only 1.5 seconds behind Dressel
Still half a second slower than Sjostrom.
That 50 fly WR is absolutely nuts.
Will be interesting to see how Gretchen looks at worlds. Given the front end of her 100 have to believe she can get somewhere close to the record.
She just swims the 50 fly differently from everyone else. Very flat stroke, high turnover. Distinctly and absurdly fast.
Yeah but overall this is still good for her swimming this event after two years getting a PB and become second swimmers to get under 25 with a room for improvement.
No criticism of Gretchen intended. Shes an absolute beast.
I think from looking at the video the 24.43 had wind assistance. The fastest indoors time is 24.60 so still 0.33 ahead.
Crazy that Sjostrom was a couple years younger than Walsh when she set that record
It’s more crazy that Sjostrom was only 15 yo when she set 100 fly WR and won World Championship.
Talk about generational talent.
After she won that she ‘struggled’ for a while too.
No major international medals until after London. And I’d say she wasn’t really at the level we all expected again until 2015.
Great example of perseverance. A lot of people have been lost to the sport going through what she did between 09 and 2013 when she started performing great again.
She was injured in 2012 after swimming the fastest 100 free textile in 2011: 53.05 (only if we don’t count Lisbeth Trickett 52.99 in 2007 Duel in the pool where she led mixed free relay and swam against Phelps)
She won 100 butterfly in 2013 Barcelona