It's about 40C in many parts off Europe this Sunday but anyone looking to cool off in the most famous Roman pool of all needn't have bothered, what with a scorching 23.55:: World-50m-free-record gauntlet chucked by Gretchen Walsh.

It was only nine days ago that her Virginia teammate Kate Douglass broke Sarah Sjostrom's 23.61 global high from 2017 with a 23.59 at the last Pro-Swim event of the season, Walsh right there with her on 23.78:

Douglass’ New High Dash Is A Dazzling, Daunting 23.59 WR

The latest pugilistic progress from Virginia teammates Kate Douglass (23.59 WR) and Gretchen Walsh (23.78), coached by Todd DeSorbo and team as pros in their college aquatic alma mater, delivers the first American woman to own 50 free WR since Dara Torres in 1984

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

When Douglass set the mark, she became the first American woman since Dara Torres in 1986 to hold the record. Now Walsh has doubled down on that.

So, 23.55. Phenomenal. But then so, too, was the 23.86 of Sjöström: out of top training for 20 months for "the greatest adventure of my life", aka motherhood and the birth of her first child, the Swedish ace returned to training a few months ago.

And look just how far she's come to this point in Rome today, right in the middle of then next gen' and wave of Walsh the record breaker, and Sara Curtis, the Italian home from her base in the same Virginia program as the winner, and setting her third Italian record of the meet, a 24.09.

Are you not entertained?

Walsh, the World record holder in the 100m butterfly who yesterday extended her list of sub-55sec efforts to 5 at the helm of the all-time performances rankings, is coached by Todd De Sorbo and entourage on the post-college pro side at the University of Virginia.

The last one to own the 50 free and 100 'fly records simultaneously? Well, she was in the next lane: Sjöström, of course - and she owned then 50 and 100m free and 'fly simultaneously, too.

The 100m free mark passed from Sjöstöm to Marrit Steenbergen yesterday:

Steenbergen Shaves 0.03 Off Sjöström’s 2017 Standard For 51.68 WR In Rome 100 Free

“It’s surreal. That’s the right word. I’m incredibly proud of it, yet it still sounds strange to have the world record to my name. I am the fastest woman ever in the 100m freestyle. It still needs to sink in, but it’s absolutely true” - Marrit Steenbergen

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

Today, Walsh's latest whistler punched the latest in a season of pugnacious punches from the sorority of sprinters keen to shake, rattle and roll their sport into a new dimension.

The sub-24 club - and 50 Free World-Record progression:

Until this month, Aussie Geoff Huegill's 23.60 50m butterfly world record from May 2000 could still beat a girl racing freestyle. No longer. Indeed, the fastest women over 50m free is now just 1.2sec shy of the first official world record ever held in the same event by men: 22.32, by American Tom Jager in 1987. So, imagine that: Jager crashing into the wall, and Walsh on his tail well within the red lines.

Of course, important to note two things the comparison between men's and women's standard has a context, and one that applies throughout the ages.

• Cam McEvoy - 20.88 - Gretchen Walsh 23.55:
• Difference: 23.55 − 20.88 = 2.67 seconds
• As a percentage: 2.67 ÷ 20.88 × 100 = 12.79%

The gender gap is in line with historic norms at approximately 12.8%. The 100m free gap is similarly in the 11–13% range, as are the rest of the events, as they have been for a very long time, a fact that reflects the well-documented physiological differences in muscle mass, lung capacity and body composition between elite male and female swimmers. The global Fair Play rules are in place for very sound reasons.

Talking of the men's 50 'fly, here's where the battle got to this evening in Rome, with Swiss acer Noe Ponti pipping Hungarian 100 (2024) and 200m (2020one) Olympic 'fly champ Kristof Milak 22.73 to 22.86:

In other action...

Mona McSharry of Ireland edged past Tes Schouten of The Netherlands on the last length of the 200m breaststroke for a 2:22.71 to 2:22.89 win:

Ireland also celebrated other podium successes, including the following among other highlights on the closing day at the Sette Colli:

• A podium of 1:57s in the 200 back end in this order: Roman Mityukov (SUI) 1:57.32; John Shortt (IRL) 1:57.73; Benedek Kovacs (HUN) 1:57.76
• Ellen Walshe (IRL) pipped Helena Rosendahl Bach (DEN) 2:08.02 to 2:08.15 in the 200 fly
• Walshe wasn't done there: she later took second in the women';s 200m medley won by Gretchen's big sister Alex Walsh 2:09.05 to 2:11.40.
• Caspar Corbeau (NED) topped the 200m breaststroke in 2:09.02
• Simona Quadarella (IRL) topped the 400m free in 4:05.10
• And in the last final Alberto Razzetti (ITA) also enjoyed a commanding win, on 1:57.83 in the men's 200IM.