American Gretchen Walsh extended her torrid run of world records by breaking her own short-course record in the 50m butterfly at a World Aquatics Swimming World Cup meet in Carmel, Indiana.
Walsh swam 23.72 seconds, beating her previous world record of 23.94 from last December’s World Short Course Championships.
Walsh, who this time last year had never raced in a short-course meters pool (25 meters), has since broken a total of 13 world records in short course between individual and relay events.
Eleven of them came at last December’s worlds, including two in the 50m butterfly at that meet. She owns the seven fastest times in history in the event.
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Also Saturday, Shaine Casas broke his own American record in the 200m individual medley to upset Olympic gold medalist, world record holder and training partner Léon Marchand of France.
Casas swam 1:49.43 — eight hundredths better than his American record from last December’s worlds — to beat Marchand by three tenths. Marchand, who trains with Casas in Austin, Texas, owns the world record of 1:48.88.
Casas edges Marchand in 200m IM at Swim World Cup
Shaine Casas bested his own American record and staved off world record holder Leon Marchand for the win in the men’s 200m individual medley at the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup.
The three-stop World Cup series — Carmel, followed the next two weekends by Westmont, Illinois, and Toronto — is held in 25-meter pools rather than 50-meter pools used for the Olympics.
Swimmers accumulate points based on their results and times with overall women’s and men’s champions crowned after the final stop.
In 2024, American Kate Douglass and Marchand won the women’s and men’s titles, respectively.
While Marchand is racing in Carmel, he is not expected to compete in Westmont or Toronto. Douglass is expected to contest all three stops.
Canadian Summer McIntosh, who won four individual gold medals at this past summer’s long-course World Championships, withdrew before the Carmel stop due to illness but could still race Westmont and Toronto.
The Carmel World Cup ends Sunday with preliminary heats at 10 a.m. ET and finals at 6 p.m., both live on Peacock.
Katie Ledecky and Luca Urlando were honored with Athlete of the Year awards at the 2025 USA Swimming Golden Goggle Awards.
