American swimmer Gretchen Walsh achieved her remarkable 10th world record during the world short course championships, clinching gold in the 50-meter freestyle final. She continued her success by securing an 11th record as part of the victorious U.S. team in the women’s 4×100 medley relay on Sunday.
Walsh clocked an impressive time of 22.83 seconds in the 50-meter freestyle at Budapest’s Duna Arena, finishing ahead of fellow American swimmer Kate Douglass, who came in second at 22.05 seconds.
The U.S. team, which included Regan Smith, Lilly King, Walsh, and Douglass, solidified Walsh’s place in history by winning the 4×100 medley relay with a time of 3 minutes and 40.41 seconds. Smith started the relay strong, setting a world record with her backstroke leg, finishing in 54.02 seconds.
In addition to Walsh’s achievements, Regan Smith also set a world record in the women’s 200 backstroke final, clocking in at 1:58.04 seconds. Meanwhile, Luke Hobson won gold in the men’s 200 freestyle final with a time of 1:38.61, which also marked a new world record.
Overall, the championships witnessed a remarkable total of 30 world records being established, according to event organizers.
A notable world record in the men’s 4×100 medley relay was also accomplished by neutral athletes Miron Lifintsev, Kirill Prigoda, Andrei Minakov, and Egor Kornev, who finished with a time of 3:18.68 seconds.
In this competition, it is important to note that the 25-meter pool used is half the length of the standard Olympic pool, which often influences the nature of swimming records and performances.