Gretchen Walsh’s newest document unlocks distinctive milestone for UVA swimming

The University of Virginia’s world and nationwide influence on ladies’s swimming appears to develop on a regular basis.

On Sunday, whereas competing on the Sette Colli Trophy, a three-day worldwide meet in Rome, Wahoo alumnus Gretchen Walsh set a world record in the 50-meter freestyle event, besting the time of Kate Douglass, Walsh’s former UVA teammate, from eight days earlier. 

Walsh’s time of 23.55 seconds can also be an American document, marking the one centesimal American document a UVA swimmer has set within the final 5 years. 

UVA swimmers at the moment maintain 17 world data. The six-time defending NCAA champion program maintains an elite popularity.

Walsh and Douglass – a mixed 9 Olympic medals between them – are among the many adorned UVA alumni who nonetheless prepare in Charlottesville beneath coach Todd DeSorbo and the present Wahoo crew. 

“I think it’s the training group we have out there,” Walsh said Sunday. “Not only are we putting the best swimmers in the world in the water together, but we’re putting the most fun-loving group of swimmers in the water. We work really hard, push each other every day, and have a lot of fun doing it.

“The sport is really hard and can be very challenging, and I think that they keep me sane and they keep me happy. And that’s all it takes at this level.” 

Walsh has now damaged a world document 21 instances in her profession, all coming because the U.S. Olympic Trials in June 2024. 

TWO CAVS. EIGHT DAYS APART. 🤯

Gretchen Walsh units a WORLD RECORD within the 50m freestyle simply days after coaching accomplice Kate Douglass broke the identical document. 👏 pic.twitter.com/zJlIIJVRO0

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) June 28, 2026

UVA’s current run on American data started on the 2021 Atlantic Coast Conference championship meet with the 200-meter medley relay team of Douglass, Caroline Gmelich, Alexis Wenger and Lexi Cuomo.