US Olympic champion Gretchen Walsh has continued her remarkable year by breaking the 15-year-old world record for the 50m butterfly on Tuesday. The 21-year-old achieved a time of 24.02 in the heats of the 50m butterfly during the opening morning of the Short Course World Championships in Budapest.
The previous record, held by Sweden’s Therese Alshammar, was 24.38, set in 2009 during the “shiny suit” era when records were frequently broken. Walsh expressed confidence that she can improve further. “It’s an amazing way to start the competition, the best possible beginning I could have hoped for,” she said after the race. “I believe there’s still room for improvement in that race – there are some details I can refine and execute better. So, I’m excited for the semifinals and finals, hoping to get better with each race tonight.”
Currently a student at the University of Virginia, Walsh has now set two individual world records this year: the other was in the 100m butterfly at the US Olympic trials in June. Additionally, she won two gold medals – in the 4x100m mixed medley and the 4x100m medley – at this summer’s Olympics. She also claimed an individual silver in the 100m butterfly at the Paris Games.
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