Hold onto your swim caps, because the world of swimming just got a whole lot more exciting! Gretchen Walsh is rewriting the record books, one stroke at a time. At the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup in Carmel, Indiana, Walsh didn’t just break her own world record in the 50m butterfly—she obliterated it, clocking in at 23.72 seconds. That’s a full 0.22 seconds faster than her previous record set just last December at the World Short Course Championships. But here’s where it gets even more mind-blowing: Walsh, who was a short-course novice this time last year, has now shattered 13 world records in short-course events—both individual and relay—in just a year. Eleven of those came at last December’s championships, including two in the 50m butterfly alone. She now holds the seven fastest times in history for this event. Talk about dominance! And this is the part most people miss: Walsh’s meteoric rise isn’t just about speed—it’s about adaptability. Transitioning from long-course to short-course swimming is no small feat, yet she’s mastered it in record time. Controversial question: Is Walsh’s success a testament to her talent, or does it highlight the growing specialization in short-course swimming? Let us know what you think in the comments!
But Walsh wasn’t the only one making waves. Shaine Casas delivered a jaw-dropping performance in the 200m individual medley, breaking his own American record with a time of 1:49.43. That’s eight hundredths of a second faster than his previous best—and enough to edge out Olympic gold medalist and world record holder Léon Marchand by three tenths. Casas and Marchand train together in Austin, Texas, making this victory even sweeter. Marchand, who holds the world record at 1:48.88, wasn’t expected to compete in the next two World Cup stops in Westmont, Illinois, and Toronto, but Casas’s win proves the competition is fiercer than ever. Bold prediction: Could Casas be the one to dethrone Marchand on the global stage?
The World Cup series, held in 25-meter pools (compared to the 50-meter Olympic standard), is a three-stop sprint across Carmel, Westmont, and Toronto. Swimmers earn points based on their times, with the overall men’s and women’s champions crowned after the final event. In 2024, Kate Douglass and Marchand took home the titles, but this year, Douglass is expected to compete in all three stops, while Marchand focuses on Carmel. Meanwhile, Summer McIntosh, Canada’s four-time gold medalist from last summer’s long-course World Championships, withdrew from Carmel due to illness but could return for Westmont and Toronto. And this is the part most people miss: The short-course format favors explosive speed over endurance, making it a unique test of a swimmer’s versatility.
The Carmel World Cup wraps up on Sunday, with preliminary heats at 10 a.m. ET and finals at 6 p.m., both streaming live on Peacock. If you’re not already tuning in, now’s the time—history is being made in the pool. Speaking of history, Katie Ledecky and Luca Urlando were recently honored with Athlete of the Year awards at the 2025 USA Swimming Golden Goggle Awards, proving that swimming’s stars continue to shine brighter than ever. Thought-provoking question: As records fall faster than ever, are we witnessing the peak of human performance in swimming, or is there still room to push the limits? Share your thoughts below!
