Gretchen Walsh drops a one-word reaction to Virginia Cavaliers' victory at ACC Championships

Gretchen Walsh expressed her satisfaction with the Virginia Cavaliers' sixth straight title win at the Atlantic Coast Conference Women's Swimming and Diving Championships. The Walsh siblings, Gretchen and Alex, were instrumental in bringing home the 21st title in Virginia's program history.

Gretchen Walsh has been making waves in the pool since beginning her collegiate season in 2021. In her first season, she clinched ACC's "Women's Swimmer of the Week" honor and became the fastest female American swimmer in the 50-yard backstroke. She continued her success at the 2022 ACC Championships and NCAA Championships, winning five golds and two silvers in the latter event.

Walsh repeated her record-breaking feats in the following years, racking up title after title and reaching the 2025 ACC Championships. She and her sister, Alex Walsh, helped the Cavaliers take their sixth consecutive ACC title and 21st in program history. The monumental achievement prompted the Olympic gold medalist to laud the champions in her Instagram story.

She shared the Cavaliers' post and wrote:

"Period"

Gretchen Walsh reacted to Virginia Cavaliers win at the ACC Championships; Instagram - @gretchenwalsh2

Walsh's efforts earned her the ACC’s Most Valuable Swimmer honor for the second consecutive year. Throughout the meet, she amassed seven gold medals, extending her career total to 23.

Her sister, Alex Walsh, won her fourth 200-meter breaststroke title, becoming the only woman to achieve so. The latter walked home with the most individual and overall titles in ACC women's swimming history.

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Gretchen Walsh expressed pride after she achieved something 'people dream of' at the 2024 Paris Olympics

Walsh with her silver medal at the Olympic Games Paris 2024: Day 2 - (Source: Getty)

Gretchen Walsh has been one of the most dominating swimmers in the US, shattering records and winning titles with her performances. When her sister stepped on the Tokyo Olympic stage, Gretchen watched from home. In 2024, the tables turned as the former faced a disqualification, but the younger one won four medals and broke two world records at the Paris Olympics.

She won gold medals in the 4x100m medley relay and 4x100m freestyle relay and silver in the 4x100m mixed medley relay and individual 100m butterfly. After the 2024 Games, she reflected on her wins and said:

"To come away with four medals, two world records at my first-ever Olympics, I feel like that's things people dream of, so I'm really proud." (via Olymppics.com)

As part of the US team that became the most successful team in the pool for the eighth straight Games, she said:

"It's so cool. I can't even imagine what it would be like if we didn't dominate. I feel like I grew up watching swimming, just always knowing that America is this dominating force in the pool, and I always wanted to be a part of it. And here I am getting to represent my country at the highest level. It's really cool. It's a dream come true for me." she said.

Walsh was part of the World Short Course Championships, where she set 11 world records (nine individual) and clinched seven gold medals.