This week, several members of the Virginia swim squad traveled to Budapest, Hungary for the 2024 World Aquatics 25m Championships. The event took place over six days, starting Tuesday and culminating Sunday. The list of Cavalier swimmers included senior Jack Aikins, graduate Alex Walsh, senior Gretchen Walsh, junior Emma Weber and freshman Katie Grimes, who will join Virginia swim in January. Class of 2023 alumna Kate Douglass and Class of 2021 alumna Paige Madden also competed. The Cavalier swimmers put on a clinic on the global stage, grabbing 25 medals, taking home 10 world championships and setting 14 world records.
Gretchen Walsh led the pack with her performance, winning five individual world titles, seven gold medals and setting a jaw-dropping 11 world records along the way. She dominated early, breaking three world records on the first day. The first came when Walsh posted a 24.02 in the preliminaries of the 50 meter butterfly, breaking the previous record of 24.38, which was set in 2009. She then proceeded to break that record again later the same day in the semifinals. She swam a 23.94, the first ever women to post a sub-24 second time in the event. She capped the day off anchoring Team USA in the 4x100 meter free relay. The squad posted a 3:25.01, breaking an Australian team’s previous record of 3:25.43 set in 2022.
Walsh won the 50 meter butterfly finals in 24.01 on day two, marking the first time she won an individual event championship. But her dominance was far from finished. The next event in her focus was the 100 meter freestyle, and on day three she would become the world champion in that event as well. Later that same day, Walsh posted a 55.71 in the semifinals of the 100 meter Individual Medley, breaking her own world record of 55.98.
Walsh continued her momentum into day four, setting a world record in the 100 meter butterfly with a 53.24 second swim in the prelims. That record was short lived however, as the semifinals came and Walsh shaved off nearly half a second in the event, posting a 52.87. About half an hour later, she would reenter the pool, this time for the 100 meter individual medley final, and finished her swim in 55.11 seconds, another world record and a third individual title to boot.
Day five was more of the same, as seemingly nothing could quell her incredible performance. Walsh began the session setting an American record in the 50 meter free prelims, swimming a 23.02, then improved upon the time in the semifinals, posting a 22.87 to break the previous world record. With her victory later that day in the 100 meter butterfly, she claimed her fourth individual title of the meet and again set a world record with a time of 52.71. Walsh became the first swimmer to set a world record in all stages of a championship, finishing the heats with a 53.24, the semifinals with a 52.87 and finals with a 52.71.
Day six served as a rightful grand finale to Walsh’s historical outing. She claimed her ninth individual and 11th overall world record of the meet Sunday in the final of the 50 meter freestyle. Her time of 22.83 was also good enough to claim her fifth individual title in five days. Walsh competed in 15 individual swim events in the meet — nine of those swims resulted in world record times. For her efforts, she was named Best Female Swimmer of the 2024 World Aquatics.
Douglass had a terrific week as well. She began the meet swimming a world record time of 2:01.63 in the final of the 200 meter individual medley, picking up the individual title. She beat the former world record by just over two tenths of a second. She would also team up with Walsh later in the 100 freestyle relay, swimming an opening 50.95 second leg to give the Americans the lead, contributing to their eventual world record time.
On day three, Douglass and Walsh would compete against each other in the 100 meter free final, where Douglass would take home the bronze. Douglass would win the 200 meter breaststroke final on day four with a time of 2:12.50, granting her a second individual world record and second world title. Douglass was the reigning champion in the event, dating back to her victory in Australia in 2022. She would also claim silver in the 100 meter individual medley, finishing only behind Walsh.
On the final day, Douglass and Walsh teamed up once again for a world record relay, this time in the 4x100 meter medley relay final. Douglass anchored the team and touched the wall in 3:40.41, almost four seconds better than the previous world record holder and seven seconds ahead of second place. Douglass competed in the 50 meter freestyle as well on day six, taking home the silver medal and marking the second time she and Walsh finished first and second in a final. Douglass concluded the meet bringing home seven medals, four of which were gold, along with four total world records — two individual and two relay.
Alex Walsh was another highlight for the Cavaliers, taking six medals of her own — including two gold. On day one, she won silver in the 200 meter individual medley, with a time of 2.02.65. She also competed alongside Grimes and Madden in the 4x200 freestyle relay on day three. Walsh led off the relay, with Madden following and Grimes taking up the third leg, helping to build an insurmountable lead for the Americans. The team finished their swim in 7:30.13, a new world record beating the previous time by about seven tenths of a second.
Grimes would take home the silver medal in the 400 meter individual medley, setting an American record in the process with a 4:20.14, taking almost four seconds off the previous record. She also won the bronze in the 800 meter freestyle, posting a 8:05.90. Weber earned a gold medal herself in the 4x100 medley relay.
Overall, it was a dominant week for Virginia swimmers, who showed their skill on the biggest of stages for all to see. For now, a long break awaits before the team will suit up next Jan. 11 against Virginia Tech.
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