Gretchen Walsh, Virginia star, makes Olympic team after world record
After shattering the 100-meter butterfly world record Saturday, Gretchen Walsh maintained her momentum and won Sunday’s final at U.S. Olympic trials, qualifying for her first Olympic team.
The 21-year-old swimmer from the University of Virginia clocked a 55.31 to win the 100 fly final, a couple tenths of a second shy of her new world record at 55.18, which broke Swedish swimmer Sarah Sjöström’s 55.48 mark from 2016.
“I’m still in shock, I don’t even know what to say,” Walsh told NBC Sports after winning the 100 fly final. “Making the team was the biggest goal, but getting the world record was absolute insanity, so I couldn’t ask for a better first event of the meet.”
Torri Huske finished second to Walsh with a time of 55.52 and should lock up the remaining Team USA spot in the race. Huske also finished fourth in the 100 fly at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. Regan Smith — a three-time Olympic medalist from Tokyo — finished third, clocking in at 55.62.
