Gretchen Walsh Might Destroy Sarah Sjöström’s Dynasty at Paris Olympics After NCAA Destruction

Published 03/21/2024, 5:26 PM EDT

With a plethora of records to her name, Sarah Sjöström stands as Sweden’s most decorated swimmer, with four Olympic medals and 22 World Championship medals. With the 2024 Paris Olympics looming on the horizon, Sarah has unequivocally declared her intention to pursue individual glory solely in the 50-meter freestyle, affirming, “I’d rather put all my cards on the 50 freestyle and hope for the best there.”

However, as she puts all her energy and focus on the 50-meter freestyle at the Paris Olympics, the reigning world record holder faces formidable competition from the emerging United States prodigy, Gretchen Walsh, whose recent dominance in the NCAA has sent shockwaves through the swimming world. There’s a palpable sense that Walsh may pose a serious threat to Sjöström’s longstanding dominance at the Olympics.

Gretchen Walsh making a splash in swimming world

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According to SwimSwam, Gretchen Walsh shattered her own NCAA and American records in the 50-yard freestyle prelims, clocking an astounding time of 20.41 seconds. This remarkable feat eclipsed her previous record of 20.57 seconds, set just the month prior at the ACC Championships. Notably, during the prelims at ACCs, she had already set a new record with a time of 20.77 seconds before further lowering it to 20.57.

With her latest record-breaking swim, Walsh has firmly cemented her status as one of the foremost swimmers in NCAA history. Her blazing time of 20.41 seconds stands as the fastest ever recorded in the event, underscoring her exceptional speed and dominance in collegiate swimming. Fans hope to see this same ferocity as the 21-year-old aims for the Paris Olympics this year.

Yet, the question remains: how does her performance stack up against that of the world record holder?

How does Walsh’s 50-yard freestyle compare to Sarah Sjöström’s 50-meter freestyle?

At 30 years old, Sarah Sjöström boasts a wealth of experience competing at the highest echelons, gracing multiple Olympics and World Championships with her tenacity. With world records in the 50m freestyle (23.61 seconds), 100m freestyle (51.71 seconds), and 50m butterfly (24.43 seconds), she has carved her name in swimming history and is a force to be reckoned with.

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Turning to Gretchen Walsh’s remarkable NCAA record in the 50-yard freestyle, her time of 20.41 seconds underscores her exceptional speed and dominance in the collegiate swimming world. However, it’s crucial to recognize the disparity between short course yards, as used in the NCAA, and long course meters, the standard in international competitions like the Olympics and World Championships.

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Given this, a conversion is necessary to compare Walsh’s performance to Sjöström’s world record in the long-course 50-meter freestyle. Utilizing the conversion factor provided by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), which stands at 1.119, Walsh’s 50-yard time translates to approximately 22.86 seconds in the long-course 50-meter event.

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This tantalizing proximity to Sjöström’s world record raises the question: does Gretchen Walsh pose a formidable challenge to Sarah Sjöström’s supremacy at the Paris Olympics? Only time will reveal the answer as we eagerly await the clash of these swimming titans on the grand stage in Paris. Do you think the rising star, Gretchen Walsh, can destroy the veteran Sarah Sjöström’s dynasty? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Written by:

Christaline Meyers is a senior Olympics writer at EssentiallySports who specializes in gymnastics and alpine skiing. Christaline is one of the acclaimed authorities in the coverage of 6x All-Around champion, Simone Biles. She has written extensively, covering every detail of Biles’s life stories as well as providing her perspective on Simone Biles’ Yurchenko Double Pike controversy.

Edited by:

Bilal Handoo

Gretchen Walsh Might Destroy Sarah Sjöström’s Dynasty at Paris Olympics After NCAA Destruction

Gretchen Walsh making a splash in swimming world

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How does Walsh’s 50-yard freestyle compare to Sarah Sjöström’s 50-meter freestyle?