Walsh breaks Pan Pacs record in 100m butterfly
American Gretchen Walsh set a new championship record in the women's 100m butterfly on Day 3 of the Pan Pacific Championships.
Video Transcript
Top time in the heats for the world record holder by about two seconds in 100.
She has the fastest 17 times all-time in this race.
Tall order for Perkins and anybody else.
Yeah, and, and one non-negotiable skill that you're gonna see right off the bat, and the biggest differentiator, is her underwater.
It is incredible.
You gotta watch this first 15 meters.
She's right there chasing.
Not a quick reaction.
Take your marks.
She'll be last off the blocks, but she prioritizes that clean entry and that momentum instead of that pure reaction time, and you can see why.
Already the advantage for Gretchen Walsh.
Torrie Huske in lane two from the United States.
Olympic champ of Paris trying to thrust her way into contention.
But Walsh, as expected, with that furious pace, just off world record time by less than a tenth.
Right on it, right on it.
A lot of swimmers would love to go that in a 50 freestyle, and she goes out in 100 butterfly in 25.1.
Gretchen Walsh coming back, the crowd trying to boost her here.
She's en route to another Pan Pacs gold.
Can she take down the 100 fly world record again this year?
Walsh churning to the wall.
Long at the reach.
55.15 seconds.
It will be a championship record for Gretchen Walsh.
The frustration for her.
Rowdy, when you're really not getting chased by anybody else, it's you against the clock right now for Gretchen Walsh.
Well, it is h- it is she against the clock.
And, and think about this, I mean, she wins the race by almost two seconds.
She goes 55.1, 56.7 by Taylor Ruck, by the way, great swim, was second.
I mean, and we, we've seen this with some swimmers.
Katie Ledecky is the perfect example.
She's, she used to, anyway, only swim against the clock.
And Gretchen Walsh is now one of those swimmers.
She's literally swimming against herself.
Good speed going out.
And that 6'1" frame gets into in that wall, into and out really well.
And there's nobody in the world that is a better streamliner.
Such an incredible, incredibly important word is streamline.
She's so good at that.
That excellent body position on top of the water.
Yeah, she got a little tired at the end.
You can see her shoulders starting to come down a little bit.
But still, one of the f- if, if we take away all her other times in history, she's still the fastest swimmer in history.
Gretchen Walsh gets it done.
Taylor Ruck having an outstanding meet.
Another lifetime best for the Canadian, grabbing silver.
Perkins with bronze.
Good job.
Gretchen, 100 butterfly Pan Pac champion.
It's hard for me to just speak about how fast you consistently go in the 100 fly and all your other events.
This is like the 19th or 20th time you've been under 56.
Can you talk about your race strategy and how you feel about your race today?
Honestly, my race strategy stays the same every time I do that.
But obviously wanted to go best time, break a world record in front of this great crowd.
So thank you for cheering for me anyways, and that one definitely hurt.
I think I went for it, but really happy with the win, like you said.
Amazing.
And I want to talk about your nails real quick, because I know you always have a fresh set of nails.
Is there any other superstitions that you have besides that?
Earrings, nails, mascara.
It's a wh- it's a whole outfit.
Yes.
Well, we are so proud of you.
Irvine, give it up for your 100 fly champion, Gretchen Walsh.
