Gretchen Walsh Rocks 52.09 for Fastest 100 Yard IM Ever (Race Video)

TEXAS VS. VIRGINIA

• November 4-5, 2022
• SCY (25 Yards)
• Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center, Austin, Texas
• Live Results
• Event Lineup
• Friday Live Recap

“Tech suit? Where we’re going we don’t need a tech suit.” So might say University of Virginia sophomore Gretchen Walsh, who has been tearing up the pool in the still-young season with fast swim after fast swim. Just two weeks ago Walsh clocked the fastest 100 yard fly ever done without a tech suit. Tonight, at the UVA-Texas dual meet, Walsh etched her name into the (unofficial) history books with a 52.09 100 yard IM. While the men of both teams were wearing tech suits, the women were all in practice suits, as you can see in the video below.

USA Swimming doesn’t keep official records for the 100 IM, but it considered an official NCAA event though, even though it isn’t part of the normal championship meet lineup.

Women’s 100 IM, Top Performances*:

1. Gretchen Walsh — 52.09 (2022)
2. Kate Douglass — 52.48 (2020)
3. Kate Douglass — 52.73 (2022)
4. Katie Meili — 53.02 (2014)
5. Alex Walsh — 53.08 (2021)
6. Gretchen Walsh — 53.54 (2021)
7. Alex Walsh — 53.73 (2022)

*verifying times for an event not typically raced at official meets is difficult, so if you know of a swim we missed, please let us know in the comments.

Tonight, Walsh took over the top spot from her UVA teammate Kate Douglass, who recorded the fastest time in history in 2020 with a 52.48. Douglass nearly matched her own time at the UVA Intrasquad just over a month ago, which at that point gave her the fastest two performances in history.

Coming into tonight, Walsh’s previous best in this event was a 53.54, meaning that she lowered her personal best by nearly 1.5s. Walsh’s sister and teammate Alex Walsh joins Gretchen and Douglass with another two of the top seven times ever in history, while former Columbia swimmer and Olympic gold medalist Katie Meili is the only non-Cavalier who ranks among the top seven performances ever.

The Walshes and Douglass have quickly propelled the Cavaliers to the top of the NCAA, and given their dizzying mix of sprint speed and versatility, it’s not a huge surprise to see them dominate the list of fastest 100 IM times ever. Check out the live recap, linked above, to get filled in on all the action in Austin tonight.