Gretchen Walsh was full of optimism going into the Paris Olympics, as she is the current world record holder in the 100-meter butterfly. But in the final few meters of Heat 4, the results completely altered for the world record holder, who had to settle for second place.
Heat 4 began with a delayed start across the entire grid. The commentators were undoubtedly surprised, but they thought Walsh would dominate the race because of her remarkable swimming ability, and she did so after only a few meters.
The American swimmer also made sure she was the first to reach the 50-meter mark, leaving her competition far behind her. However, Walsh’s pace slowed, which raised concerns among the spectators as Japanese swimmer Mizuki Hirai surged behind her.
Both swimmers were competing side by side in the pool, but because there could only be one winner, the Japanese competitor was the first to reach the 100-meter mark in 56.71.
Gretchen Walsh was separated by 0.04 seconds with a 56.75 finish, but now that she has advanced to the semi-finals, the world record holder will be looking forward to a solid performance in her next event.
Gretchen Walsh Looks Forward to a Big Performance
Gretchen Walsh is looking forward to giving it her best after qualifying for the semi-finals and finishing fourth overall. She has been utterly dominant in key events since last season, and she wants to keep it up, even if it means going for the desired gold medal.
The American swimmer remains a fan favorite as she approaches the semi-finals following her performance in the US Olympic Trials. In the trials, Walsh startled the swimming world with a 55.18 in the 100-meter butterfly, shattering Sarah Sjöström’s long-standing world record of 55.48 from the 2016 Rio Olympics.
The athlete is aware of her abilities, and she will strive to achieve her full potential, including breaking her own world record, in pursuit of the desired Olympic gold medal.
