Gretchen Walsh Breaks American Record in 50m Butterfly

Gretchen Walsh lowered her own American record in the 50m butterfly, clocking 24.93 seconds at a Tyr Pro Swim Series meet in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

She became the second-fastest woman in history in this event, which debuts at the Olympics in 2028.

Gretchen Walsh broke her own American record of 25.11 seconds, set in 2023, and moved from joint No. 4 to No. 2 on the all-time world list.

Only Sarah Sjöström of Sweden has been faster, with a world record of 24.43 seconds.

Gretchen Walsh's achievement is significant, as she is now the second woman to ever be under 25 seconds in the 50m butterfly.

This record-breaking performance could give Gretchen Walsh a chance to win four individual events at the World Championships this July and August.

She could compete in the 50m and 100m butterfly and freestyle events, should she make the team in all of them at nationals from June 3-7.

Gretchen Walsh has had a breakout last 14 months, accomplishing several notable feats, including three individual NCAA titles in March 2024.

Gretchen Walsh will likely face tough competition at the World Championships, but her recent performance suggests she is a strong contender.

The Fort Lauderdale meet ends Saturday with finals at 6 p.m. ET, live on the USA Swimming Network app.

Katie Ledecky, who posted the second-fastest times of her career in the 1500m and 400m freestyle events, will also compete in the 800m free on Saturday.

Gretchen Walsh's record-breaking time of 24.93 seconds is a notable achievement, and she will look to build on this success in upcoming events.