Gretchen Walsh became the second woman in World Championship history after Swedish sprint queen Sarah Sjöström, to win the butterfly dash crown inside 25sec here in Singapore this evening, her victory also landing her the 50-100 double.

The American holder of the 100m World record stopped the clock at 24.83 ahead of Alexandria Perkins (AUS), an Oceania and Australian record of 25.31, the bronze to Roos Vanotterdijk (BEL), on 25.43, 0.1sec down on the national record she set in her semi. Podiums 50 and 100 were a snap, with a switch in the athlete in 2nd and 3rd.

The burning question in general years to the event’s Olympic debut at LA2028 is: Where’s Sarah?

We know that the baby the 50-100m free Olympic champion from Paris is expecting, with her husband, Johan de Jong Skierus, is due this month. So, it’ll be a while before we see her knocking at the door of 25 down one length ‘fly.

Yet the timing for a Sjöström comeback could hardly be better: three years to go until the first Olympic 5o ‘fly line-up in history leaves the blocks in Los Angeles.

Coached by Todd de Sorbo at Virginia, Walsh was in the 2023 final in Fukuoka when Sjostrom clocked 24.77 for the fifth of her record six World 50 ‘fly titles since 2015. The American took bronze, in 25.46.

Walsh has moved on apace since then, taking down Sjostrom’s 100m World record of 55.48 and moving her own standard on three times in the past two years, from 55.18 at U.S. Olympic trials in 2024 to 55.09 in May this year and then a thumping, pioneering sub-55: not by a fraction but the thud of 54.60.

Let's read the runes and see what the podium placers have to say about the Olympic dash ...