By James Sutherland on SwimSwam
2024 SHORT COURSE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
- December 10-15, 2024
- Duna Arena, Budapest, Hungary
- SCM (25m)
- Meet Central
- Roster Index
- SwimSwam Preview Index
- Pick’em
- Psych Sheets
- Live Results
- Prelims Live Recap: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6
- Finals Live Recap: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6
Gretchen Walsh‘s performance at the 2024 Short Course World Championships was nothing short of spectacular no matter what metric you look at.
Seven gold medals. Eleven world records. A monstrous $290K payday from World Aquatics.
Anyone who has followed NCAA swimming over the past two years wasn’t surprised to see Walsh rewrite the short course meter record books in her first major meet in the format (and second ever outside of a dual meet in October that also included four records), but regardless, what she did in Budapest was sensational.
THE WORLD RECORDS
Nine of Walsh’s world records came individually across four events: the women’s 50 free, 50 fly, 100 fly and 100 IM.
She took down the 100 fly record in all three rounds of the event, from 53.24 in the prelims to 52.71 in the final, and she lowered each of the other individual world records twice.
Two more were added on the U.S. women’s 4×100 free and 4×100 medley relays.
With 11 world records at the meet, Walsh surpasses Mark Spitz and Michael Phelps for breaking the most all-time marks at a single competition.
Spitz lowered seven world records at the 1972 Olympics en route to winning a record seven gold medals, and then Phelps took down seven world records on his way to winning eight gold medals at the 2008 Games in Beijing, breaking Spitz’s all-time mark for gold medals at a single Olympics.
World Record Swims – 11
| Date | Event | Round | Previous WR | Walsh New WR | Improvement |
| December 10 | Women’s 50 fly | Prelims | 24.38 | 24.02 | 0.36 |
| December 10 | Women’s 50 fly | Semi-finals | 24.02 | 23.94 | 0.08 |
| December 10 | Women’s 4×100 free relay | Final | 3:25.43 | 3:25.01 | 0.42 |
| December 12 | Women’s 100 IM | Semi-finals | 55.98 | 55.71 | 0.27 |
| December 13 | Women’s 100 fly | Prelims | 54.05 | 53.24 | 0.81 |
| December 13 | Women’s 100 fly | Semi-finals | 53.24 | 52.87 | 0.37 |
| December 13 | Women’s 100 IM | Final | 55.71 | 55.11 | 0.60 |
| December 14 | Women’s 100 fly | Final | 52.87 | 52.71 | 0.16 |
| December 14 | Women’s 50 free | Semi-finals | 22.93 | 22.87 | 0.06 |
| December 15 | Women’s 50 free | Final | 22.87 | 22.83 | 0.04 |
| December 15 | Women’s 4×100 medley relay | Final | 3:44.35 | 3:40.41 | 3.94 |
Where It Started vs Where It Is Now
| Event | World Record Coming In | New WR | Improvement |
| 50 free | 22.93 | 22.83 | 0.10 (0.44%) |
| 50 fly | 24.38 | 23.94 | 0.44 (1.80%) |
| 100 fly | 54.05 | 52.71 | 1.34 (2.48%) |
| 100 IM | 55.98 | 55.11 | 0.87 (1.55%) |
| 4×100 free relay | 3:25.43 | 3:25.01 | 0.42 (0.20%) |
| 4×100 medley relay | 3:44.35 | 3:40.41 | 3.94 (1.63%) |
THE AMERICAN/CHAMPIONSHIP RECORDS
In addition to breaking world records in four individual events, plus the two relays she raced, Walsh also picked up a new American and World Championship Record in the 100 free.
She first clocked 50.49 in the semis to break Kate Douglass‘ American Record of 50.82 and Emma McKeon‘s Championship Record of 50.77, and then in the final, put up a time of 50.31 to come just six one-hundredths shy of Cate Campbell‘s world record of 50.25, ranking Walsh #2 all-time.
All told, she broke 14 American Records, with her two swims in the 100 free semis and final, and the 50 free prelims, coming in addition to her world records.
American Record Swims – 14
| Date | Event | Round | Previous AR | Walsh New AR | Improvement (seconds) |
| December 10 | Women’s 50 fly | Prelims | 24.42 | 24.02 | 0.40 |
| December 10 | Women’s 50 fly | Semi-finals | 24.02 | 23.94 | 0.08 |
| December 10 | Women’s 4×100 free relay | Final | 3:26.29 | 3:25.01 | 1.28 |
| December 11 | Women’s 100 free | Semi-finals | 50.82 | 50.49 | 0.33 |
| December 12 | Women’s 100 free | Final | 50.49 | 50.31 | 0.18 |
| December 12 | Women’s 100 IM | Semi-finals | 55.98 | 55.71 | 0.27 |
| December 13 | Women’s 100 fly | Prelims | 54.59 | 53.24 | 1.35 |
| December 13 | Women’s 100 fly | Semi-finals | 53.24 | 52.87 | 0.37 |
| December 13 | Women’s 100 IM | Final | 55.71 | 55.11 | 0.60 |
| December 14 | Women’s 50 free | Prelims | 23.10 | 23.02 | 0.08 |
| December 14 | Women’s 100 fly | Final | 52.87 | 52.71 | 0.16 |
| December 14 | Women’s 50 free | Semi-finals | 23.02 | 22.87 | 0.15 |
| December 15 | Women’s 50 free | Final | 22.87 | 22.83 |