2025 U.S. NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Tuesday, June 3 – Saturday, June 7, 2025
- Indianapolis, Indiana
- Indiana University Natatorium
- LCM (50 meters)
- World Championship Selection Criteria
- SwimSwam Preview Index
- Meet Central
- Psych Sheets (Updated 6/02)
- Live Results
- How To Watch (USA Swimming Network)
- Prelims Live Recap: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4
- Finals Live Recap: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3
In the final women’s individual event of the 2025 U.S. National Championships, Gretchen Walsh claimed the title in the 50 freestyle, also tying the American Record, held by teammate Kate Douglass, with her time of 23.91.
Walsh’s performance marked her first time under the 24-second barrier as her previous best stood at 24.06 from last year’s Olympic Trials meet. She now holds the fastest time in the world this season, with a time that would’ve won silver at the 2024 Olympic Games, just behind World Record holder Sarah Sjostrom.
2024-2025 LCM Women 50 Free
WALSH
AR 23.91
| 2 | Torrri HUSKE | USA | 23.98 | 06/07 |
| 3 | Kate Douglass | USA | 24.04 | 06/07 |
| 4 | Meg Harris | AUS | 24.17 | 06/14 |
| 5 | Wu Qingfeng | CHN | 24.18 | 05/24 |
Breaking 24 seconds in the 50 freestyle, Walsh now joins an exclusive club of only 16 female swimmers who have been under that barrier.
Women’s 50 Freestyle – Swimmers Under 24 Seconds
| All-Time Ranking | Fastest Time | Swimmer | Country | Meet | Date |
| 1 | 23.61 | Sarah Sjostrom | Sweden | 2023 World Champs | 07/29/2023 |
| 2 | 23.73 | Britta Steffen | Germany | 2009 World Champs | 08/02/2009 |
| 3 | 23.75 | Pernille Blume | Denmark | 2018 European Champs | 08/04/2018 |
| 4 | 23.78 | Cate Campbell | Australia | 2018 Commonwealth Games | 04/07/2018 |
| 5 | 23.81 | Emma McKeon | Australia | 2020 Olympic Games | 08/01/2021 |
| 6 | 23.85 | Ranomi Kromowidjojo | Netherlands | 2017 World Champs | 07/30/2017 |
| 7 | 23.88 | Therese Alshammar | Sweden | 2009 World Champs | 07/26/2009 |
| T-8 | 23.91 | Kate Douglass | United States | 2024 World Champs | 02/18/2024 |
| T-8 | 23.91 | Gretchen Walsh | United States | 2025 US National Championships | 06/07/2025 |
| 10 | 23.95 | Kasia Wasick | Poland | 2024 World Champs | 02/18/2024 |
| T-11 | 23.96 | Fran Halsall | Great Britain | 2014 Commonwealth Games | 07/24/2014 |
| T-11 | 23.96 | Marleen Veldhuis | Netherlands | 2008 Olympic Invite | 04/19/2009 |
| T-13 | 23.97 | Simone Manuel | United States | 2017 World Champs | 07/30/2017 |
| T-13 | 23.97 | Meg Harris | Australia | 2024 Olympic Games | 08/04/2024 |
| T-13 | 23.97 | Libby Trickett | Australia | 2008 AUS Olympic Trials | 03/27/2008 |
| 16 | 23.99 | Shayna Jack | Australia | Australian Olympic & Paralympic Trials | 06/15/2024 |
Of those competitors, Sjostrom leads the pack by a long shot with 39 swims under the 24-second barrier. The next closest swimmer is Australian Cate Campbell, who has registered 8 swims under the 24-second mark, followed by Pernille Blume of Denmark with 4 swims. Walsh will face an uphill battle if she wants to catch Sjostrom, but she’ll certainly have the opportunity to move herself up the all-time list come Worlds.
Number of Times Under 24 Seconds – Women’s 50 Freestyle
| Ranking | Number of Sub-24 Swims | Swimmer | Country |
| 1 | 39 | Sarah Sjostrom | Sweden |
| 2 | 8 | Cate Campbell | Australia |
| 3 | 4 | Pernille Blume | Denmark |
| 4 | 3 | Emma McKeon | Australia |
| T-5 | 2 | Ranomi Kromowidjojo | Netherlands |
| T-5 | 2 | Marleen Veldhuis | Netherlands |
| T-6 | 1 | Britta Steffen | Germany |
| T-6 | 1 | Therese Alshammar | Sweden |
| T-6 | 1 | Kate Douglass | United States |
| T-6 | 1 | Gretchen Walsh | United States |
| T-6 | 1 | Kasia Wasick | Poland |
| T-6 | 1 | Fran Halsall | Great Britain |
| T-6 | 1 | Simone Manuel | United States |
| T-6 | 1 | MEG HARRIS | Australia |
| T-6 | 1 | Libby Trickett | Australia |
| T-6 | 1 | Shayna Jack | Australia |
Originally Reported by Sam Blacker
Women’s 50 Freestyle – Final
- World Record: 23.61 – Sarah Sjöström, Sweden (2023)
- American Record: 23.91 – Kate Douglass (2024) (TIED TONIGHT)
- U.S. Open Record: 24.00 – Abbey Weitzeil, USA (2023)
- 2024 Olympics Trials Winner: Simone Manuel – 24.13
- 2025 World Aquatics ‘A’ Cut: 24.86
Final:
- Gretchen Walsh (NYAC) – 23.91 *=AR, US, CR*
- Torri Huske (AAC) – 23.98
- Kate Douglass (NYAC) – 24.04
- Simone Manuel (TXLA) – 24.39
- Maxine Parker (CA-Y) – 24.41
- Julia Dennis (UOFL) – 24.59
- Annam Olasewere (CPAC) – 24.62
- Cadence Vincent (BAMA) – 24.90
Gretchen Walsh got her nose out in front after the breakout, and held a slight advantage the whole way through to the finish. Torri Huske powered through the second 25 and looked like she might catch Walsh, but the Cavalier stretched out to get the touch in 23.91 to equal Kate Douglass’ American Record.
Huske also broke 24 seconds to take second in 23.98, knocking a tenth off her best from last year and vindicating her decision to drop the 200 IM for this event today.
Kate Douglass missed out by just six-hundredths in third as she touched in 24.04, her second-fastest swim ever.
Simone Manuel took 4th in 24.39, with Maxine Parker setting a new best of 24.41 to take 5th as Virginia put three women into the top 5.
5 Aussies is pretty good. Hoping Meg will go faster again over the next 7 weeks.
The only thing I learned from this is that SS has gone under 24 almost 40 times
Aren’t you leaving Torri Huske off of the sub-24 group? Should be up to 17 women in that group, should it not?
typo on Manuel’s time at the end of the article btw
Dang… Sarah with almost 5x as many times under 24 as her next closest competitor
Sara free wrs might be tougher than liu 200 fly to break
A very ‘professional’ meet for GW. More fireworks to come at Worlds for sure
It’s mentioned that Walsh joined a group of 16 women that have broken 24 seconds in the 50. There’s 17 as of now. Huske is missing from the list and should be ahead of Shayna Jack.