On a Spectacular Run, Gretchen Walsh Can Use Summer to Enhance Star on Road to LA28
Maybe we are rushing, because the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles are more than three years away. But the host country has found its star for the biggest global stage, with Gretchen Walsh already writing history.
The United States is privileged to have plenty of world-class swimmers and the face of the LA28 Games could be multiple options. There is the legend, Katie Ledecky, while Kate Douglass and Bobby Finke can fill the role. But the current superstar of USA Swimming is Gretchen Walsh, the 22-year-old on a career-defining run with three years to enhanced her already special status.
In 2022, a year after the Tokyo Olympic Games, France knew that Leon Marchand would be the protagonist of Paris 2024, such was his potential after winning two gold medals at the World Championships in Budapest. The next year, he continued his momentum by winning three gold medals at the World Champs in Fukuoka, and taking an iconic world record from the GOAT in the 400 individual medley.
In the end, Marchand delivered, earning four gold medals in Paris, and etching himself as one of the greatest swimmers of all-time.
The Paris Olympics were also a chance for Walsh to shine. She entered the meet as the new world-record holder in the 100 butterfly, from the U.S. Trials, and set a new Olympic record in the semifinals. Although Walsh claimed silver in the final, edged by teammate Torri Huske, her first Olympic Games provided the chance to gain valuable experience and confidence in a pressure-filled environment.
The visit to Paris, at least in part, contributed to her unstoppable performances in the short-course pool a few months later.
Walsh had an unbelievable run at the World Aquatics World Cup and won five individual gold medals in the World Short Course Championships in December in Budapest. With nine world records, she clearly established herself as the queen of short-course swimming, and followed with another record-breaking NCAA season for the University of Virginia.
Only weeks ago, at the Pro Swim Series in Ft. Lauderdale, Walsh managed to write history once again. Who would have thought we would see a sub-55 time in the 100 fly? Perhaps nobody! And certainly at that point in the season. But Walsh made it happen by stopping the clock at 54.60. It’s a stunning time, a historical world record that could revolutionize the event.
More, the American only seems to be touching on her greatness.
The U.S. National Championships are only a few days away (June 3-7) and Walsh will use the meet to set her program for this summer’s World Championships in Singapore. She has only competed once at a long-course World Champs (2023) and is chasing her first gold medal in an individual event.
This year seems like the perfect time to fill that void, as Walsh is in the best form of her career, and seems to get better every time she is in the pool. This summer offers an opportunity for Walsh to further distinguish herself, and also serves as her first big step in preparation for LA28.
Author Elisabeth Grigoriadou is a member of Swimming World’s 2025 summer internship class.
