2023 WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS
- July 23 to 30, 2023
- Fukuoka, Japan
- Marine Messe Fukuoka
- LCM (50m)
- SwimSwam Finals Watch Party Daily
- Meet Central
- SwimSwam Preview Index
- Entry Book
- Live Results (Omega)
- Day 1 Prelims Live Recap
- Day 1 Finals Live Recap
- Day 2 Prelims Live Recap
- Day 2 Finals Live Recap
Gretchen Walsh has had a steady progression in long course over the last few seasons at big meets, starting with having a less-than-stellar showing at the 202(1) Olympic Trials. She then just missed making the world champs team last year by .01.
This year, she made the worlds team in dramatic fashion, not only qualifying for the 400 free relay on day 1 of trials, but following that up by giving herself 3 individual events: 50 fly, 100 fly, and 50 free.
In Fukuoka, Walsh led off the 400 free relay on Day 1 in 54.0 as well as made the final in the 100 fly. In that final, she placed 8th with a 57.5. The USA rookie discusses her thoughts on her first two days of racing at these world championships (or any world championships) and what she’s taken away from them.
Can we talk about the time between nationals and worlds? Some of these swimmers are tapering COMPLETELY for trials just to get on the roster for Worlds…and then, with less than 1 month between probably full taper and worlds, have to fly home to wherever they live, get on a plane to fly to a camp then fly to another camp, then fly to the worlds location halfway around the world…some do this without their teammates around them, or their coach, and then we expect them to swim FASTER than what they did less than a month ago to ‘represent USA’.
I always thought USA had the perfect amount of time between trials and the olympics…i think it was 6… Read more »
She’s a tough young lady. Three weeks and 12 time zones away from home takes a lot out of anyone, both mentally and physically. She’ll bounce back. Looking forward to her 50s later in the week after she’s had more time to rest, relax and assimilate.
After making the team, Gretchen did an interview in which she exclaimed of the relay, “It’s going to be just like NCAAs!”
That was a bit of a red flag. It indicated she hadn’t watched world championships carefully enough to identify the situational variances. It’s not going to be a spirited collegiate crowd with each rooting section exploding as their team is announced.
I think Gretchen would have benefitted from Todd being there. For one thing, he could have steered the more favorable order. I was shocked with Gretchen at lead. From memory, Douglass typically leads for Virginia. That wasn’t logical here but Gretchen needed to be in one of the chase spots, where it would more resemble a… Read more »
After making the team, Gretchen did an interview in which she exclaimed of the relay, “It’s going to be just like NCAAs!”
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I still remember when Swimswam peanut gallery claimed that NCAA and US trials is the toughest swimming meet in the world.
Well, the multiple NCAA and US trials champion is not so tough at worlds, nevermind the Olympics.
She obviously hasn’t yet performed at the level she did at trials, but this is still by no means a terrible performance. Made a final individually in the 100fl – which I think many of us are surprised she made the team in at all by beating Curzan and Douglass at trials – and despite struggling in the 4x100fr, it looked a lot worse than it actually was due to who was in the water with her (MOC and Sjostrom).
No, her time was legitimately really slow
In regard to the lead-off leg of the W 4 x 100 FR-R, Gretchen Walsh was slower at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships than Erika Brown at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics.
despite struggling in the 4x100fr, it looked a lot worse than it actually was due to who was in the water with her (MOC and Sjostrom).
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54 in the year of 2023 is slow.
Everybody has an off performance from time to time. With the exception of the Aussies, Leon and a few Chinese, seems like there have been quite a few underwhelming swims at the meet so far (e.g.s, Summer’s 400???; Popovici’s 200????; Katie Grime’s 1500; Claire Weinstein’s 200). Yeah, there’ve been a couple of world records, but otherwise, I get the sense that many swimmers aren’t crazy about this pool/venue.
She should talk to Bowman
That’s a really thoughtful, mature perspective. I wonder if she’s considering a redshirt year to hammer in some LCM training this year.
I thought maybe the Walsh sisters would take an Olympic redshirt. Not saying that 2028 is out of the question at all, but Paris seems like a better bet considering for both of them – especially will all the up and coming young talent.
Even if she redshirts she’s still going to train with the college team which means she’ll probably train a combination of both SCY and LCM all year round. Redshirting does not mean that her training schedule will change much if at all.
Sure, but she won’t have to rest for ACCs or NCAAs, and will get much more LCM racing throughout the year.
And won’t have to travel for in-season NCAA meets. She could focus on LCM and go to the LCM meets.
I hope a lot of them do. I can’t really remember too many occasions where it turned out poorly, y’know?
I assume there’d just be a huge LCM focus either way, even if they are still swimming NCAA.
They shouldn’t have had her lead off the relay. It’s obvious she’s very hot and cold in the 100 freestyle. The pressure of the lead off swim probably didn’t help anything but getting a relay start might’ve taken the edge off a bit.
I believe that Gretchen Walsh should have swam in the heats of the W 4 x 100 FR-R in lieu of Abbey Weitzeil. The USA National Team coaching staff has historical data on Abbey Weitzeil’s performances in the W 4 x 100 FR-R.
This is bom-diggity correct. I was shocked at 2 things for the 400 relay, a) prelims having torrie leading off and Abby being on the prelim relay at all. Not like you had a TON of time to analyze with only 2-3 weeks, but if you had ANY suspicion of Gretchen being ‘off taper’, she should’ve been put in the prelim race…Torrie was ‘on point’ at 53.5 leadoff, but chances are if you lead off with Gretchen going 54. something, and Torrie on a relay split, Torrie is going to split a 52. Then, you have enough information to know not to put Gretchen on the final, keep Torrie in as leadoff, and add Abby. Yes, it’s armchair coach, but… Read more »