Gretchen Walsh becomes first woman to record sub-45 time in the 100 Yard Freestyle, breaks the NCAA and American record

Gretchen Walsh's brilliant swimming proficiency knew no bounds as the Virginia Cavalier swimmer delivered back-to-back record-breaking performances at the 2024 NCAA Division I Women's Swimming & Diving Championships.

The four-day annual college swimming championships began on March 20, 2024, at the Gabrielsen Natatorium in Athens, Georgia. Walsh delivered a stunning performance on the last day of the championships by shattering the NCAA and the American record in the 100-yard freestyle event.

Walsh clocked a time of 44.83 seconds, followed by Katherine Berkoff who clocked 46.65 seconds, with Isabel Ivey settling for third place with a time of 46.23 seconds.

Walsh improved her previous record of 45.16 seconds which she set during the ACC Championships held last month at the Greensboro Aquatic Center in Greensboro, North Carolina.

With her recent feat, Walsh not only broke Simone Manuel's seven-year-old NCAA and American record in Greensboro, but also became the first woman to clock the sub-45 time in the event. Manuel now holds the second-fastest time (45.56 seconds) of the event which she registered during the 2017 NCAA Swimming Championships.

---

"Every year I have been fast at ACCs and even faster at NCAAs" - Gretchen Walsh after her record-breaking feats at the 2024 NCAA Division I Women's Swimming & Diving Championships

Gretchen Walsh poses during the Team USA Paris 2024 Olympic Portrait Shoot in Los Angeles, California

Apart from her victory in the 100-yard freestyle event, Gretchen Walsh broke the records in the 100-yard butterfly and the 50m freestyle events.

She registered a spectacular time of 47.42 and 20.37 seconds in the 100-yard butterfly and 50-yard freestyle, respectively. In an interview with the Swimming World, Walsh expressed her joy while citing the improvement in her performances at every NCAA and ACC Championships.

"We actually do the same exact thing every year. It was bringing out a lot of memories from my first year and second year,” she said. “It is nice to know that what has always worked is what we are doing. Every year I have been fast at ACCs and even faster at NCAAs."

"That is what sets us up so well. It is not easy. We know we have to bring up the intensity to another level to perform better here."

With her recent exploits at the championships, Walsh has established herself as one of the favorites to compete at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials in Indianapolis, Indiana in June.