Gretchen Walsh sets sixth world record to claim fourth gold at short course world championships

Team USA’s Gretchen Walsh continued her golden run at the World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) Budapest 2024, claiming her fourth gold medal and sixth individual world record in the women’s 100m individual medley final on Friday, 13 December.

The two-time Olympic gold medallist touched the wall in 55.11 seconds, speeding well ahead of her nearest challengers to stand confidently on the top step of the podium. It was a familiar feeling for the 21-year-old from Nashville, Tennessee, who was only a few hours removed from setting her fifth individual world record of the championships in the women’s 100m butterfly heats.

“It's definitely payday, or rather pay-week I guess... But I just think this is a lot of hard work culminating into one week,” said the dominant American told World Aquatics. “I feel like it was kind of a matter of time for me, just with this being my really first-ever short-course meet on a stage like this.”

She added, “I'm really thrilled with myself and the times I've been able to put up and just everything I've been able to accomplish because there's been a lot of work that went into it.”

Her teammate Kate Douglass - a newly minted world record holder in the women’s 200m breaststroke - certainly had to work hard to stay within camera shot of the human torpedo known as Gretchen Walsh. She touched the wall in 56.49 to claim the silver medal, ahead of France’s Beryl Gastaldello, who finished third with a time of 56.67 seconds.

The race was the icing on the cake for an American team, who left the Duna Arena with plenty of hardware on night four of the short course world championships.

Records tumble and anthems play

History followed just about every kick turn and stroke at the Duna Arena, with not one, but two, world records falling in a single race on night four of the World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) Budapest 2024.

Team USA’s Luke Hobson got the men’s 4x200m freestyle relay off to a spectacular start, smashing Paul Biedermann’s 15-year-old world record in the men’s 200m freestyle.

His teammates Carson Foster, Shaine Casas and Kieran Smith weren’t slacking either, with the quartet powering to a time of 6 minutes and 40.51 seconds to claim gold and set a new world record in the event.

Their performance capped off a night of sensational swims, which saw Regan Smith set a world record in the women’s 50m backstroke - clocking 25.23 - and Miron Lifintsev set a new world junior record in the men’s 50m backstroke with a time of 22.47 seconds.

The night wasn’t without a few surprises, however, with Spain’s Carles Coll Marti (2:01.55) out-touching Kirill Prigoda (2:01.88) and Japan’s Yamato Fukasawa (2:02.01) to claim gold in the men’s 200m breaststroke final - becoming the first swimmer from his nation in a decade to win gold at the World Swimming Championships.

Victories for Germany’s Isabel Gose (women’s 1500m freestyle), Team USA’s Kate Douglass (women’s 200m breaststroke) and Switzerland's Noe Ponti (men’s 100m individual medley) round out the night, with Italy claiming top honors in a thrilling mixed 4x50m freestyle relay final.

While the excitement in the pool might be giving way to a well-earned night of sleep for all the swimmers at the short course world championships, fans can look forward to another action-packed day tomorrow (Saturday, 14 December), featuring six equally compelling finals.