Virginia’s Gretchen Walsh Shatters 100m Butterfly World Record Twice at TYR Pro Swim Series
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – In a stunning display of athletic prowess, Virginia senior Gretchen Walsh made history on Saturday, May 3, at the TYR Pro Swim Series in Fort Lauderdale by breaking the world record in the 100m butterfly twice in a single day. Walsh’s morning prelim swim clocked in at 55.09 seconds, surpassing her own previous record of 55.18 set during the US Olympic Team Trials last year. She then became the first woman ever to swim below 55 seconds in the final, finishing at 54.60 seconds.
Walsh’s achievement was a highlight in a meet full of remarkable performances. She secured her fourth gold medal of the competition by winning the 50 Free with a world-best time of 24.33 seconds.
Her sister, Alex Walsh, also made headlines by clinching gold in the 200m IM with a stellar time of 2:08.84, ranking as the fourth-fastest globally this year. During the same evening, Alex placed second in the 200 Breast, with Virginia alumna Kate Douglass taking the event at 2:20.78.
Freshman Leah Hayes rounded out the meet with commendable third-place finishes in both the 200 Breast (2:27.60) and the 200 IM (2:11.52), marking her participation in four A-Finals throughout the event.
Other notable performances included junior Jack Aikins placing third in the 100 Back with a time of 54.69 seconds, and freshman David King finishing fifth (55.39). Freshman Katie Grimes and sophomore Cavan Gormsen secured seventh and eighth in the 800 Free, while sophomore Claire Curzan and graduate student Maxine Parker also made strong showings in their respective events.
With these impressive results, the Virginia swim team showcased not only individual talent but also their depth, setting a high standard for upcoming competitions.
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