Walsh Whistles Past The 55 'Fly Barrier At The Speed Of Spitz: 54.6 (After 55.09 In Heats)
"I have found that taking one less stroke has given me that extra energy ...I was long in my turn and my finish as well ... I can go faster. I look forward to perfecting that race. If it was perfect, I wouldn’t feel the confidence that I could go faster; I’m excited for more" - Gretchen Walsh
One day in early May, three World records, two of them to Gretchen Walsh, who warmed up with a 55.09 in the 100m butterfly heats at Pro Swim in Fort Lauderdale and then whistled past the 55 barrier at the speed of Spitz, her 54.60 a Mary-T sort of moment, though only time will tell.
How fast? Faster than 5 of Mark Spitz's 7 World 100 'fly records and only 0.33sec shy of the American's winning effort when lifting one of his historic seven golds at the Munich 1972 Olympic Games.
Katie Ledecky produced the other World record on the last day of action at what for the eight-times solo freestyle-event Olympic champion is practically a home meet, a breeze down the road from the Gators in Gainesville, Florida meet: 8:04.12:
Craig Lord
American women, under tide-turning pressure from Dolphin strength that has tested and even toppled the USA as the world No 1 force at times, particularly on a measure of female force.
With a home Olympics on the horizon - should Los Angeles 2028 survive the morphing of the United States into a place governed by some who see Putin's Russia as the bear to hug and Europe the enemy - Team USA in the pool will be wanting more than one man - Bobby Finke - and three women - Ledecky, Torri Huske and Kate Douglass - picking up gold in solo events.
Start collecting the runes. Here's how the women's 100 'fly turned out today:
- Gretchen Walsh (Nashville, Tenn./New York Athletic Club), 54.60*
- Torri Huske (Arlington, Va./Arlington Aquatic Club), 56.59
- Alex Shackell (Carmel, Ind./Carmel Swim Club), 57.31
- RESULTS IN FULL
This file is now part of the SOS Archive...
