A world record in the 50-meter freestyle has changed hands — and it didn’t take long. The previous mark lasted just nine days before American swimmer Gretchen Walsh came along and topped it.
Walsh, who trains alongside the previous record holder Kate Douglass, posted a time of 23.55 seconds at the Sette Colli meet in Rome on Sunday. That performance was four-hundredths of a second quicker than Douglass’ record-setting swim at the TYR Pro Swim Series in Indianapolis on June 19.
Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom, who had held the world record before Douglass claimed it, finished in second place Sunday with a time of 23.86 seconds.
At just 23 years old, Walsh is already one of the most decorated swimmers in the world. She holds the long-course world record in the 100-meter butterfly with a time of 54.60 seconds, as well as the short-course world record in the 50 freestyle at 22.83 seconds, along with several other short-course and relay world marks.
Walsh also had a standout performance at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, where she took home two gold medals and two silver medals, all in relay events.
