Gretchen Walsh Resets Championship and Americas 100 Free Record For 2nd Individual Worlds Gold

2024 Short Course World Championships

• December 10-15, 2024
• Duna Arena, Budapest, Hungary
• SCM (25m)
• Meet Central
• Roster Index
• SwimSwam Preview Index
• Pick’em
• Psych Sheets
• Live Results
• Prelims Live Recap: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3
• Finals Live Recap: Day 1  | Day 2 | Day 3

Gretchen Walsh opened the third finals session of the 2024 Short Course World Championship by breaking the 100 freestyle championship and Americas records she set in the semifinal, keeping her incredible performance at the meet rolling.

Walsh earned her second individual gold medal of the meet with a 50.31, improving her standing as the second-fastest performer in history. She’s now just six-hundredths from Cate Campbell’s world record of 50.25 from 2017. Walsh attacked her race, flipping three-tenths under Campbell’s pace at the 50-meter mark with a 23.90.

Top 5 Performances, 100 Freestyle (SCM):

1. Cate Campbell, Australia — 50.25 (2017)
2. Gretchen Walsh, United States — 50.31 (2024)
3. Gretchen Walsh, United States — 50.49 (2024)
4. Sarah Sjostrom, Sweden/Emma McKeon, Australia — 50.58 (2017/2021)
5. —

“I pushed it on the first 50,” said Walsh in her post-race interview. Campbell’s world record line crept up to her on the third length, but Walsh maintained a slim .15-second lead over the line at the final turn. Campbell’s mark caught up with her on the last 25 meters, as Walsh split 26.41 on the back 50 to Campbell’s 26.04.

The swim is a lifetime best for Walsh by .18 seconds as she improved from the records she set in the semifinal. The drop came from the work she did on the first 50 in the final, as her 23.90 opening 50 was two-tenths faster than her opening 50 during the semifinal.

Split Comparison: 

Walsh has a busy schedule in Budapest this week and this session is no different. She’ll be back on the blocks later for the 100 IM semifinal. She’s the world record holder in the event and swam a championship record 56.06 in the prelims. “I’m hoping to keep the ball rolling for the rest of the meet,” she said in her interview.