Gretchen Walsh Sets 50m Butterfly World Record

Gretchen Walsh has made history at the 2024 Short Course World Championships in Budapest by becoming the first woman to swim the 50m butterfly in under 24 seconds, clocking an impressive 23.94 in the semifinals. Earlier in the day, she shattered Therese Alshammar's long-standing world record of 24.38 with a time of 24.02 during the prelims. With her latest achievement, Walsh has now set two world records in short course meters and holds four American records, including the 100 IM and the 50 free. This remarkable performance follows a string of recent successes, including breaking the 100 fly world record at the U.S. Olympic Trials. The 21-year-old Olympian continues to demonstrate her dominance in the pool, having already secured gold medals representing Team USA. As the championships progress, she has further opportunities to improve her record times.