Gretchen Walsh breaks Kate Douglass' 50-meter freestyle world record

Gretchen Walsh has broken the 50-meter freestyle world record, becoming the fastest female sprinter in the history of swimming.

Less than two weeks after Kate Douglass stunned the swimming world with a new world record in the 50 free, Gretchen Walsh has re-established a new fastest time.

The 23-year-old American swam a 23.55 at the 67th Sette Colli meet in Rome on Sunday. The Sette Colli meet has long been one of the jewels of the European summer swimming calendar, and Walsh has now cemented herself into its history.

Walsh and Douglass are current training partners and were teammates at the University of Virginia. The two helped lead one of the most dominant women's swimming programs in NCAA history. They've trained together, raced together, and now both broken the same world record.

Walsh brought home four medals from 2024 Paris Olympic Games, including two golds, and her post-collegiate trajectory has been remarkable. Walsh also owns the world record in the 100 meter butterfly and holds the 16 fastest times ever recorded in the event.

Women's sprint freestyle now runs through Charlottesville. Virginia, now home to the two fastest performers in history after both Douglass and Walsh reset the world record. Swimming's sprint ceiling is being constantly being rewritten and Virginia's training group is leading the charge.