2025 World Championships
- July 27 – August 3, 2025 (pool swimming)
- Singapore, Singapore
- World Aquatics Championships Arena
- LCM (50m)
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Gretchen Walsh put any questions about how she was feeling to bed on Monday night in Singapore, delivering a dominant performance in the women’s 100 butterfly en route to winning the first individual long course world title of her career.
Walsh, who was surprisingly removed from the U.S. women’s 4×100 free relay final as the team continues to deal with a stomach illness, bounced back in a big way 24 hours later, reminding everyone that she’s the best 100 butterflyer in the world and it’s not close.
The 22-year-old led from the jump, soaring to a time of 54.73 to mark the second-fastest swim in history and her third time under the 55-second barrier. She knocked eight-tenths of a second off the previous Championship Record of 55.53, set by Sarah Sjostrom in 2017, and beat runner-up Roos Vanotterdijk (55.84) by 1.11 seconds, the largest margin of victory in the event since Sjostrom in 2015.
Walsh became the first woman in history under the 55-second barrier earlier this year at the Fort Lauderdale Pro Swim in early May in a time of 54.60, and then followed up that swim by clocking 54.76 at the U.S. World Trials in early June.
Split Comparison
| Walsh, 2025 Fort Lauderdale PSS | Walsh, 2025 U.S. Trials | Walsh, 2025 Worlds | Sjostrom, Previous CR (2017) |
| 25.32 | 25.19 | 25.16 | 25.67 |
| 54.60 (29.28) | 54.76 (29.57) | 54.73 (29.57) | 55.53 (29.86) |
All-Time Performances, Women’s 100 Butterfly (LCM)
- Gretchen Walsh (USA), 54.60 – 2025 Fort Lauderdale Pro Swim
- Gretchen Walsh (USA), 54.73 – 2025 World Championships
- Gretchen Walsh (USA), 54.76 – 2025 U.S. National Championships
- Gretchen Walsh (USA), 55.09 – 2025 Fort Lauderdale Pro Swim
- Gretchen Walsh (USA), 55.18 – 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials
- Gretchen Walsh (USA), 55.29 – 2025 U.S. National Championships
- Gretchen Walsh (USA), 55.31 – 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials
- Gretchen Walsh (USA), 55.38 – 2024 Olympic Games
- Sarah Sjostrom (SWE), 55.48 – 2016 Olympic Games
- Torri Huske (USA), 55.52 – 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials
Despite having a decorated resume that includes four Olympic medals and seven Short Course World Championship titles, this is Walsh’s first individual long course world title. At the 2023 Worlds in Fukuoka, she won gold as a member of the U.S. women’s 4×100 medley relay, and also won silver on the 4×100 free relay and bronze in the 50 fly. In the 100 fly, she finished 8th in a time of 57.58.
This is also Walsh’s first major individual long course title, period, as she was the silver medalist at last summer’s Olympics in the 100 fly behind American teammate Torri Huske, who was forced to withdraw from the event on Day 1 to focus on the relay as members of the U.S. team deal with illness.
Now that she appears to have rounded the corner from what was ailing her earlier, Walsh will tackle a loaded lineup over the next five days, with the women’s 50 free, 100 free and 50 fly on her individual schedule, with the likelihood we’ll also see her in three American relays. She’ll be off on Tuesday before the mixed 4×100 medley relay runs on Wednesday.
This is great to see.
It’s crazy how much she’s taken over the top times list in just one year
Now if T. Huske can return to form.
I think Torri Huske has been the hardest hit on the team by the virus.
She was very brave to show up for the relay and swim for her team.
Probably Luka hardest hit or it just looked worse for him because a 400 is much further than a 100, but Torri up there too.
Yep he was clearly struggling really bad.
The 56 backstroker too.
good on Huske for being a team player and doing the relay for her country. Walsh had a great 100 fly but nevertheless let her team down by ducking the relay and cost them the gold that’s on her
It’s very likely that if she was that sick her split would have been slower than Gemmell. Gemmell was like .5 slower than Walsh’s best split ever
She did her job last night on the relay and probably needed more time to recover.
Gretchen Walsh wil win 50 free and fly
Meg looks she could be on track to pb tho
50 free there’s some contenders, but she will win the fly by heaps
For a team debilitated by illness, I hope Walsh’s swim signals better times to come at this meet for everyone.
shes going to be like ledecky in the 1500 and sjostreom in the 50 in this event
🤣5758-5473🤣
Almost 3 seconds faster than her last world final. I know she was well off her pb at that meet but still just wow.
Hard to remember but she is still relatively new to LCM. I suspect we will see more bomb drops prior to LA.
Sorry? Surely they have a LCM pool to access at UVA. Every summer the main championships are LCM, even in the USA.
Lol what.
She won 50 and 100 free at 2019 worlds junior, beating MOC
That championship was in LCM.
You’re talking as if G Walsh were from Kyrgyzstan that does not have a single 50m pool.
and even Kyrgyzstan has medalists here