Gretchen Walsh Lowers 100 Fly WR To 54.33, Quickest In Historical past By Over A Second

2026 Speedo Fort Lauderdale Open

• Wednesday, April 29 – Saturday, May 2, 2026
• Fort Lauderdale, Florida
• Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Center
• LCM (50 meters)
• All the Links
• Meet Central
• Psych Sheet
• Live Results: “Fort Lauderdale Open” on Meet Mobile
• SwimSwam Recaps

Gretchen Walsh dominated the sector within the 100 fly on the Speedo Fort Lauderdale Open tonight, decreasing her personal World Record as she touched in 54.33. That was over 4 seconds sooner than world junior document holder Claire Curzan‘s 58.44 for silver, and is the quickest time on this planet this season by almost two seconds.

Walsh sliced 0.27 seconds from her earlier world document of 54.60, set at this meet 12 months in the past, which on the time was the primary swim below 55 seconds. She was 55.39 in prelims this 12 months, three-tenths of a second slower than the 55.09 she clocked within the morning heats in 2025.

This swim marked the fourth time that Walsh has set the world document within the 100 fly, and he or she is now the proprietor of the highest 13 performances in historical past. Sarah Sjoestroem, whose document of 55.48 from the 2016 Olympic Games had withstood the attentions of Maggie MacNeil, Torri Huske, Zhang Yufei, and Emma McKeon, continues to be the second-fastest performer in historical past however now greater than a second again of Walsh.

Women’s 100m Fly, Women’s All-Time Top Ten Performers

1. Gretchen Walsh (USA) – 54.33, Speedo Fort Lauderdale Open
2. Sarah Sjoestroem (SWE) – 55.48, 2016 Olympic Games
3. Torri Huske (USA) – 55.52, 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials
4. Maggie MacNeil (CAN) – 55.59, 2020(1) Olympic Games
5. Regan Smith (USA)/Zhang Yufei (CHN) – 55.62, 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials/2020 Chinese Nationals
6. –
7. Emma McKeon (AUS) – 55.73, 2020(1) Olympic Games
8. Roos Vanotterdijk (BEL) – 55.84, 2025 World Championships
9. Dana Vollmer (USA) – 55.98, 2012 Olympic Games
10. Liu Zige (CHN) – 56.07, 2009 Chinese Games

In complete, Walsh owns 19 of the 54 sub-56 swims in historical past, greater than a 3rd. All 19 of these have come prior to now 24 months. Sarah Sjoestroem is subsequent on the checklist with 11 sub-56 swims.

Walsh has now damaged 55 seconds on 4 events. The first got here on the 2025 Pro Swim Series, the second at 2025 U.S. Nationals, the third on the 2025 World Championships, and the fourth tonight.

She has been sooner than the previous world document 13 instances in lower than two years, ever since she first claimed the document on the 2024 Olympic Trials in June of that 12 months.

Gretchen Walsh‘s Swims Under Sjoestroem’s Former World Record (55.48), Women’s 100m Fly

1. 54.33 – 05/02/2026, Speedo Fort Lauderdale Open (Finals)
2. 54.60 – 05/03/2025, Pro Swim Series – Ft. Lauderdale (Finals)
3. 54.73 – 07/28/2025, Singapore World Championships (Finals)
4. 54.76 – 06/05/2025, U.S. Nationals (Finals)
5. 55.09 – 05/03/2025, Pro Swim Series – Ft. Lauderdale (Heats)
6. 55.18 – 06/15/2024, U.S. Olympic Trials (Semi-Finals)
7. 55.20 – 03/06/2026, Pro Swim Series – Westmont (Finals)
8. 55.22 – 03/21/2026, China Open Swimming Championships (Finals)
9. 55.29 – 06/05/2025, U.S. Nationals (Heats)
10. 55.31 – 03/06/2026, Pro Swim Series – Westmont (Semi-Finals)/55.31 – 06/16/2024 – U.S. Olympic Trials (Finals)
11. –
12. 55.38 – 07/27/2024, Paris 2024 Olympic Games (Semi-Finals)
13. 55.39 – 05/02/2026, Speedo Fort Lauderdale Open (Heats)

Walsh’s splits tonight had been sooner on each 50s than in her earlier document, though the largest distinction got here on the primary 50. She was out in 25.09, 0.23 seconds sooner than her swim 12 months in the past, earlier than closing in 29.24. That seems to be the 2nd quickest second 50 cut up ever in a ladies’s 100 fly race.

Split Comparison

	2026 Speedo Fort Lauderdale Open – 54.33	2025 Pro Swim Series – 54.60	2025 World Championships – 54.73	2025 U.S. Nationals – 54.76
1st 50	25.09	25.32	25.16	25.19
2nd 50	29.24	29.28	29.57	29.57

Her two most up-to-date sub-55 swims noticed her exit in 25.1, however she had been barely slower coming dwelling than she was in her 54.60 swim. This time, she managed to get one of the best of each worlds for an enchancment on each 50s.

The 100 fly was one of many first occasions Walsh broke out in in lengthy course, inserting 2nd at U.S. Nationals in 2023 in a time of 56.34 to qualify for the World Championships group.

She would go on to complete eighth in Fukuoka in a time of 57.58, having notched a barely sooner 57.14 within the semi-finals. Her swim from U.S. Nationals would have positioned 2nd, 0.11 seconds forward of Maggie MacNeil.

Although Walsh owned the world document and the three quickest instances in historical past by the point of the Olympic ultimate in Paris, she was out-touched by teammate Torri Huske for gold, profitable silver in a time of 55.63. Huske was simply 0.04 seconds forward in 55.59, however since that race Walsh is but to be overwhelmed.

She gained gold in Singapore final summer time in 54.73, greater than a second forward of silver medalist Roos Vanotterdijk, and had already racked up seven 55-point swims this season earlier than her world document tonight.

While Walsh owns the 100 fly document, Sjoestroem’s 50 fly world document of 24.43 does nonetheless stand. With Walsh simply 0.23 seconds off at 2025 U.S. Nationals, that mark may very well be in critical hazard this summer time.