Gretchen Walsh Joins the Sub-53 Club, becomes 5th Fastest American of All Time

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
  • Finals: Day 1 | Day 2

Women’s 100 Freestyle – Final

• World Record: 51.71 – Sarah Sjostrom, SWE (2017)
• World Junior Record: 52.70 – Penny Oleksiak, CAN (2016)
• American Record: 52.04 – Simone Manuel (2019)
• U.S. Open Record: 52.54 – Simone Manuel, USA (2016)
• Pro Swim Record: 52.74 – Siobhan Haughey, HKG (2024)

Top 8: 

1. Gretchen Walsh (NYAC) — 52.90
2. Torri Huske (AAC) — 52.95
3. Kate Douglass (NYAC) — 53.61
4. Rylee Erisman (LAKR) — 53.78
5. Penny Oleksiak (CAN) — 53.89
6. Simone Manuel (TXLA) — 53.99
7. Sarah Fournier (CHI) — 54.96
8. Erin Gemmell (TXLA) — 55.11

Gretchen Walsh, the fastest-ever swimmer in the yards pool, is continuing to make inroads into the meters.

After placing first this morning at a time of 54.09, G. Walsh was the favorite for tonight. Out in 25.22 to the feet, Walsh held off a surging Torri Huske to take the win in 52.90, with Huske finishing just .05 back in 52.95.

Before this evening, Walsh had never broken the 53.00-second barrier. She first got close in 2023, going 53.14 at US Nationals. Last year, she dropped two new PBs, going 53.13 at Olympic trials, then again dropping a new PB of 53.04 in Paris.

In her first season as a professional swimmer, the NCAA champion in the 100 appears to have reached new heights, as her performance tonight shows.

In comparing the two splits, Walsh made all of her improvement in the backhalf as she took out the 1st 50 in identical 25.22 but came home in .14 of a second faster. Walsh’s efforts tonight jump her from 7th to 5th in the all-time US Performers, passing both Abbey Weitzeil and Amanda Weir. For reference, all of the performers above Walsh, save Mallory Commerford, were in the field this evening. Huske finished 2nd, as mentioned above, Kate Douglass took 3rd in 53.61, and Simone Manuel took 6th in 53.99

Top US Performers of all time:

1. Simone Manuel – 52.04 (2019)
2. Torri Huske – 52.29 (2024)
3. Kate Douglass – 52.56 (2024)
4. Mallory Comerford – 52.59 (2017)
5. Gretchen Walsh – 52.90 (2025)
6. Abbey Weitzeil – 52.92 (2023)
7. Amanda Weir – 53.02 (2009)

While Walsh now ranks as the 5th fastest American, her time doesn’t crack the World’s top 25 of all time. Rikako Ikee’s 52.79 currently occupies that spot. However, this season, both Walsh, with her 52.90, and Huske, with her 52.95, vault up to the top of the World rankings as the only two swimmers to have gone under 53 this year.