Florida vs. Virginia
- October 18, 2024
- Charlottesville, Virginia
- 25 Meters (SCM)
- Results on Meet Mobile: “Virginia vs Florida”
- Full Meet Recap
After setting three American Records during the first hour of racing during Virginia’s short course meter dual meet with Florida, Gretchen Walsh was far from done.
Competing in a 100 IM time trial, Walsh rocketed to a time of 55.98, demolishing the world record of 56.51 set by Katinka Hosszu back in 2017.
Walsh is the first swimmer in history under 56 seconds, and breaks the hours-old American Record of 56.99 set by Kate Douglass earlier on Friday at the Shanghai stop of the World Cup.
It’s obvious Walsh is a better fly/back sprinter than Hosszu and Douglass when comparing their splits, as Walsh was nine-tenths clear of Hosszu at the 50 with a scintillating opening of 25.07, while she was nearly two seconds head of Douglass.
Douglass came back faster than anyone, leaning on her breaststroke prowess, but the gap created by Walsh on the opening 50 was enough to put her more than half a second clear of the world record and over a second clear of the American Record.
Split Comparison
| Hosszu, Old WR | Douglass, Old AR | Walsh, New WR |
| 25.97 | 26.96 | 25.07 |
| 56.51 (30.54) | 56.99 (30.03) | 55.98 (30.91) |
All-Time Performers, Women’s 100 IM (SCM)
- Gretchen Walsh, USA – 55.98
- Katinka Hosszu, Hungary – 56.51
- Kate Douglass, USA – 56.99
- Sarah Sjostrom, Sweden – 57.10
- Beryl Gastaldello, France – 57.30
- Charlotte Bonnet, France – 57.47
- (TIE) Alicia Coutts, Australia/Marrit Steenbergen, Netherlands – 57.53
- (TIE) Mariia Kameneva, Russia/Siobhan-Marie O’Connor, Great Britain/Anastasiya Shkurdai, Belarus – 57.59
RACE VIDEO
Earlier this month, Walsh recorded the fourth-fastest 100 IM of all-time in short course yards (52.63), with Douglass owning the fastest time ever at 51.97.
If Walsh’s swim is ratified and recognized by World Aquatics, it will qualify her to swim the 100 IM at the Short Course World Championships, which she’s scheduled to contest in December.
Douglass is also expected to race the 100 IM after registering an official time on Friday in Shanghai.
When the U.S. announced its roster for the championships last week, there were no entrants in the 100 IM as no one had posted a qualifying time. Assuming it’s Walsh and Douglass representing the U.S. in the event in Budapest, the Americans will more than likely be looking at a 1-2 finish.
Earlier in the dual meet with Florida, Walsh set American Records in the 50 free (23.10), 50 back (25.37) and 100 back (54.89), ranking t-4th, 3rd and t-2nd all-time.
In a single afternoon, she did some serious damage on the SCM record books with more to come later this year in Budapest.
| Event | WR (Pre-UVA/FLORIDA) | AR (Pre-UVA/FLORIDA) | Walsh @ UVA/FLORIDA |
| 50 free | 22.93 (Kromowidjojo) | 23.44 (Weitzeil) | 23.10 |
| 50 back | 25.25 (MacNeil) | 25.54 (Curzan) | 25.37 |
| 100 back | 54.56 (McKeown) | 55.04 (Smoliga) | 54.89 |
| 100 IM | 56.51 (Hosszu) | 56.99 (Douglass) | 55.98 |
According to USA Swimming’s database, Walsh has never raced SCM in an official meet until today.
So…. It counts!
https://www.instagram.com/p/DBSZM05ixk5/?igsh=MXJyc2lzNGRjOGM1Zw==
Folks! Guess what? That silver medal is going to get us some CRAZY swimming from GW. She is HUNGRY and abs I don’t feel comfortable doubting her in anything tbh.
I swear, I could just Rowdy off in the distance, faintly complaining about her reaction time.
Oh hey, she’s pretty fast.
https://youtu.be/IPUprw08IRM?feature=shared
video ^^
fantastic, thanks for the link
If NCAA doesn’t go to an SCM format for Nationals, then teams should take it upon themselves to host meets like this and Mid-Season invites in SCM. USA-S needs to seriously consider a PSS or maybe December meet as SCM, open to college swimmers, with NCAA cuts available in SCM.
We need to see our college athletes get chances to set WR’s.
Is that an official meet? I’m surprised a WR can be official in such circumstances.
I still think if she swam the 200y IM she would break KDs record
I doubt it
Every time I say this I get downvoted into oblivion. She can do 200s, she’s the 3rd fastest 200y free performer of all time. And this 100 record proves she can do IM as well, which is over 1 second faster than KD. There’s no reason she can’t beat the 200y IM record.
I don’t think Kate’s 100 IM today was equivalent to her 200y IM… that was an insane race and she was phenomenal on all legs. I give Gretchen a 1:49 MAYBE
KD did that IM about 20 minutes after a 200 breast. Let’s see what KD does at Worlds. And it’s a lot harder to fake your way through 50 of breast.
The piano hit her harrrrrd every time she swam the 200. I think she’d be way out in front at the 100 spot and then KD would easily overtake her on the breast leg and not look back