Walsh trounces loaded field in 100m butterfly
Gretchen Walsh left no doubt in the women's 100m butterfly at the TYR Pro Swim Series in Indianapolis, where she surged ahead to record the event's fifth-fastest time ever.
Video Transcript
Erika Pelayo swims at North Carolina State, the 19-year-old originally from Florida.
The Olympic gold medalist from Paris is in the house, Torri Huske representing New York Athletic Club.
That gold in the 100 fly, one of her five medals from those Olympics.
Alex Shackle from Carmel Swim Club here in Indiana, sixth in the 200 fly in Paris.
Won Olympic relay gold as well.
Lane four, Gretchen Walsh, repping New York Athletic Club as well.
Fastest time in the heats for this final by over two and a half seconds.
That's in 100.
Alex Walsh, older sister of Gretchen, been a world champ and Olympic medalist in the 200 IM, second quick in the heats.
She'll have an IM on her schedule coming up later.
There's Claire Curzan.
she swam this event in Tokyo for the US as a teenager.
NCAA runner-up in the 100 fly for Virginia last March.
There's Tess Howley, repping Long Island Aquatic Club.
World University Games gold last summer in Germany in the 200 fly.
And Charlotte Krush, teenager from Louisville, Kentucky.
Lakeside Swim Team, off to swim collegiately at Tennessee in the future.
This a really- good field.
Mm-hmm.
Alex Walsh, again, with all of her experience, but Rowdy, right now it feels like no one is in the same stratosphere with Gretchen Walsh, even Torri Huske.
Yeah But again, now graduating from Stanford, starting to focus in on things as a pro.
How does she try to come chase down Walsh?
Well, I don't think it happens here, but things are gradually progressing very well for Huske.
This is an exceptional field, maybe the best of the night.
In fact, it is the best field of the night.
And again, Walsh slow off those blocks.
It, it, her priorities are the ones that she excels in, and it's right there in front of you with that well, now body length lead at the 25 mark.
You said two and a half seconds.
Do we even have two and a half seconds separating the top three in the men's 1500?
It's crazy.
Look at this.
I mean, it's unbelievable.
25 flat is the world record split that she just broke.
25.2 right there, right on it.
Right on it.
Remember, she has the 13 fastest times in history.
It's all happened in two years.
Surging again in the 100 fly.
Every time she races this event, you salivate at what could come.
Look at the lead for Walsh.
What about the clock?
To the wall.
55 on the dot for Gretchen Walsh.
A resounding win here by over two seconds.
Claire Curzan second best, but Gretchen Walsh trounces them all again in the 100 fly.
So sweet, too.
She kind of acknowledges the crowd.
Sorry, I didn't get that one there.
It's, it's unbelievable.
55.00, that's the fifth fastest time in history.
Now she has the 14 fastest times in history.
You see her right there on the left-hand side of your screen.
Again, the reaction is not that big a deal because of, of the fact that what she does when she enters the water, again, the physical factor is the big thing.
She's 6 foot 1.
I remember the great sprinter, Cate Campbell.
She was taller than that.
She was always dead last off the blocks, but she made up for it once she entered the water.
Here's the 50 turn.
Gretchen Walsh does the same exact thing.
And when she starts getting going, man, look at This is a, I'm guessing at least half this field, Jason, four or five, gotta be half the field at least, will be in the finals at the Olympic trials in two years.
That's how good she is.
And Gretchen is with Nicole.
That was the fifth fastest time ever in the 100 fly.
Gretchen Walsh, were we happy with that swim?
We were happy with that swim.
I was just telling you, sometimes it's hard to put a swim like that in perspective when my best is s- 7/10 faster, but that is something to be really proud of, that time, and it's really fun doing it in front of this crowd.
You're never the fastest off the blocks.
Mm-hmm.
But what you do afterwards is unmatched.
How, how do you explain that?
Honestly, Caeleb Dressel told me what matters most is the entry, and I feel like I nail it every time.
So, who cares how fast I get off so long as it's smooth in and clear water going out.
And you touched the wall first.
Congrats again, Gretchen.
Thank you.
