Gretchen Walsh fell 0.16sec shy of her World record to claim the U.S. national 100m butterfly title in the second sub-55sec swim ever, a 54.76, in Indianapolis this evening.

The 22-year-old, coached by Todd DeSorbo at the University of Virginia, set the global mark at a thumping 54.60 during the Fort Lauderdale round of Pro Swim early last month, the balance of there and back a learning curve old but on a pioneering new level:

• 25.32; 54.60 (29.28) May 3, 2025 WR
• 25.19; 54.76 (29.57) June 5, 2025

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

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

Olympic champion Torri Huske followed Walsh home in 56.61, no others inside 57, Alex Shackell taking bronze in 57.71, teenager Caroline Crush just off the medals on 58.09.

All of which made the U.S. national champion's victory all the more a Mind-The-Gap moment. Walsh's winning today and her 55.29 in heats extended her all-time bull run on the all-time performances rankings to the best seven ever, her second and the second sub-55 ever into the list at No2. That's more than half-way to Sarah Sjöström's record of holding the fastest 12 100 'fly swims ever in 2019, her fourth season of rankings dominance.

Walsh on setting a championship record: “I feel good, I feel that every time I swim that race, it’s all about fine-tuning details and finding areas to get better. I didn’t go a best time, but I’m not too pressed about it because I want to be faster at Worlds anyway. Leaving room in the tank. It’s been a long meet, and I am looking forward to getting back home and starting training to get geared up for Worlds.” 

Asked about training these past few months, Walsh, speaking through USA Swimming, said:

“Honestly, it has been really good. We have such a big group training together at UVA, so I never really felt alone in this journey. We have so many people swimming well at this meet, so there is a lot of momentum on our team and a great deal of excitement for the summer. That helped me a lot because the transition from short course to long course can be pretty brutal. There were some tough weeks, but I felt really good in practice and very confident. Swimming in Fort Lauderdale (at the TYR Pro Swim Series) gave me a lot of confidence for this meet. I just wanted to be as good as I was in Fort Lauderdale, and I have done that, so I am happy.”

Read on for more on Walsh's swim and Day 3 Race Reports and Results: