All things considered, it was a great year of swimming for Team USA as the Paris Olympics yielded plenty of gold in the pool (16 Gold medals to be exact). USA Swimming put on a show again at the World Swimming Championships in Budapest, Hungary. Arguably the biggest star of the five-day event was Gretchen Walsh.
Walsh, who took home two Gold and Silver medals in Paris, added to her collection in Budapest. The University of Virginia swimmer dominated the pool with an unprecedented seven Gold medals. Of those wins, Walsh set a world record in three of those races (time in parentheses):
- 50-meter Freestyle (22.83)
- 100-meter Butterfly (52.71)
- 100-meter Medley (55:11)
Once again 🇺🇸 Gretchen Walsh is the fastest swimmer ever in the women’s 50m freestyle with a time of 22.83 💪 #AQUABudapest2024 pic.twitter.com/QA0hE2tKgv
— World Aquatics (@WorldAquatics) December 15, 2024
She broke the Americas and Commonwealth record in the 100-meter Freestyle with a time of 50:31 seconds. Walsh won Gold in the 50-meter Butterfly, 4×100 Freestyle Relay, and 4×100 Medley Relay. Between the Paris Olympics and the World Swimming Championships, Walsh has 11 medals total (nine Gold and two Silver) to her name in 2024. Without question, Walsh is a part of the future of Team USA Swimming as she looks to continue her reign in 2025.
More Team USA Wins at the World Swimming Championships
Not only did Walsh find success in Budapest, more familiar name found some. First, Kate Douglass was atop the podium four times, winning two Silver and a Bronze as well. Like Walsh, Douglass broke a couple of world records (time in parentheses):
- 200-meter Breaststroke (2:12:50)
- 200-meter Medley (2:01:63)
Her other two Gold medals came in the 4×100 Freestyle Relay and 4×100 Medley Relay. Douglass won Silver in the 50-meter Freestyle and 100-meter Medley and Bronze in the 100-meter Freestyle. Winning two Gold and Silver in Paris, Douglass’ total medal count in 2024 is at 11.
Kate Douglass sets a stunning World Record in the Women's 200m Breaststroke at 2:12.50! 🇺🇸 An incredible performance for the history books! 🏊♀️🔥 #AQUABudapest2024 pic.twitter.com/9VwidUBWEK
— World Aquatics (@WorldAquatics) December 13, 2024
What’s more, Regan Smith found herself breaking some records in Budapest, winning seven medals overall as four were Gold. She also decided to set some records in two of her wins in the pool (time in parentheses):
- 50-meter Backstroke (25:23)
- 200-meter Backstroke (1:58:04)
Smith also set the Commonwealth record in the 100-meter Backstroke with a time of 54:55 while getting Gold in the 4×100 Medley Relay.
Team USA Swimming Relayed in Some Records in Budapest
Speaking of the 4×100 Medley Relay, Team USA set a world record time of 3:40:41. The USA relay team consisted of Smith, Walsh, Douglass, and Lilly King. King won four medals overall in the World Swimming Championships. She won Silver in the 100-meter Breaststroke and the Mixed 4×100 Medley Relay. The Indiana native won Gold in the 4×100 Medley Relay in Paris, making her total medal count at five in 2024.
GOLD FOR THE USA! 🇺🇸🥇
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) December 15, 2024
Regan Smith, Lilly King, Gretchen Walsh and Kate Douglass claim the women's 4x100m IM relay title after SMASHING the world record. #AQUABudapest2024 | 📺 Peacock pic.twitter.com/5MYqVb8pNM
Next, the team of Douglass, Walsh, Katharine Berkoff, and Alex Shackell set the world record in the 4×100 Freestyle Relay with a time of 3:25:01. Berkoff and Shackell won a combined nine medals at the World Swimming Championships (five for Berkoff and four for Shackell).
Lastly, the 4×200 Freestyle Relay saw another world record for Team USA with a time of 7:30:13. Paige Madden, Alex Walsh, Claire Weinstein, and Katie Grimes were members of the Gold medal-winning team. Madden and Weinstein won Silver in the event back at the Paris Olympics as it was the first time for Grimes and Walsh.
All in all, the Women’s USA Swimming team has a bright future as there’s much more work until Los Angeles in 2028.
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Cover Image: Gretchen Walsh/World Swimming Championships (Instagram)
