Gretchen Walsh Blasts American Record in 50 Butterfly; Becomes Second Woman to Go Sub-25
With the Olympic Games featuring the 50-meter stroke events beginning at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, the sprints will obviously take on enhanced importance around the world. That sense was in the air during the Friday evening session at the TYR Pro Series stop in Fort Lauderdale, as a quartet of 50-meter dashes dotted the Night Three slate at the International Swimming Hall of Fame.
Gretchen Walsh was the headliner.
The 2024 Olympic silver medalist in the 100 butterfly, Walsh wasted little time taking control of the 50 butterfly and established an American record of 24.93. That mark not only destroyed her previous American standard of 25.11 (2023), it made Walsh just the second woman in history to crack the 25-second barrier. Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom, the world-record holder at 24.43, is the other member of the sub-25 club, with more than 20 performances in the 24-point range.
Since it was announced that the 50-meter stroke events would be added to the Olympic program, Walsh has embraced the idea of racing the 50 fly at a home Games in Los Angeles. She reiterated her desire to contest the 50 fly at the 2028 Games during a post-race interview with NBC’s Nicole Auerbach, and Walsh will be the heavy favorite in the event at the U.S. Trials in Indianapolis next month.
Walsh has previously enjoyed success at the World Championships in the 50 fly. At the 2023 version in Fukuoka, Walsh was the bronze medalist. She was followed in Fort Lauderdale by her former collegiate teammate, Kate Douglass, who went 25.39 for second place. Regan Smith finished third in 25.63.
Canadian and Arizona State standout Ilya Kharun won the men’s edition of the 50 butterfly, thanks to a personal best and Canadian record of 23.09. Kharun’s effort enabled him to finish ahead of Trinidad & Tobago’s Dylan Carter (23.24) and American Shaine Casas (23.25). Caeleb Dressel was fourth in 23.32.
In the 50 breaststroke events, Skylar Smith and Denis Petrashov recorded victories. A standout at the University of North Carolina, Smith posted a time of 30.49 and bested a field that featured several Olympians. Smith’s swim enabled her to reach the wall ahead of Emma Weber (30.57) and Lilly King (30.63). Meanwhile, Petrashov dipped under the 27-second barrier with a mark of 26.94, good for a .07 margin over American Michael Andrew (27.01).
