Gretchen Claire Walsh (born January 29, 2003) is an American competitive swimmer and the world record holder in the 100 meter butterfly (long course), 50 meter freestyle (long course and short course), 50 meter butterfly (short course), 100 meter butterfly (short course), and 100 meter individual medley (short course). She won the silver medal in the 100 meter butterfly at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, where she also set the Olympic record in the 100 meter butterfly in the semifinals with a time of 55.38. She additionally holds one world junior record in the mixed gender 4×100 medley relay event, as well as American records in the 50 meter butterfly, 4×100 meter freestyle relay, 4×100 meter medley relay, 50 meter freestyle (short course), 50 meter backstroke (short course), 50 yard freestyle, 100 yard freestyle, 100 yard butterfly, 100 yard backstroke, 4×50 yard freestyle relay, 4×50 yard medley relay, 4×100 yard freestyle relay, and 4×100 yard medley relay.

Walsh competed collegiately for the University of Virginia. In 2022, she became the fastest female freshman to swim the 50 yard freestyle in the NCAA, with a time of 20.95 seconds, and earned the NCAA title in the 100 yard freestyle, with a time of 46.05 seconds, and the national title in the 100 meter butterfly. In 2023, she won the women's NCAA Division I title in the 100 yard backstroke, with an American record time of 48.26 seconds, and the 100 yard freestyle, with a 45.61. In 2024, she won NCAA titles in the 50 yard freestyle, 100 yard freestyle, and 100 yard butterfly, setting NCAA records in all three events with times of 20.37 seconds, 44.83 seconds, and 47.42 seconds, respectively. She repeated these championships in 2025 with times of 20.49 seconds, 44.71 seconds and 46.97 seconds.

Early life and education Walsh was born January 29, 2003, to mother Glynis Walsh and father Robert Walsh."Gretchen Walsh: Results". FINA. Retrieved November 24, 2021.Rieder, David (June 13, 2020). "Alex and Gretchen Walsh Chasing the Ultimate Dream… Together". Swimming World. Retrieved November 24, 2021. She has an older sister, Alex, who is also a competitive swimmer. She attended Harpeth Hall School in Nashville, Tennessee, where she competed scholastically for the high school team, setting national high school records in the 50 yard freestyle and the 100 yard freestyle and winning state championships titles in multiple events.Harris, Chris (June 2, 2021). "Two Tennessee sisters chase their Tokyo Olympic dreams together". WBIR-TV. Retrieved November 24, 2021.

In the autumn of 2021, Walsh started attending the University of Virginia, where she competes collegiately as part of the Virginia Cavaliers swimming and diving team.

Career 2015–2017: Early career & age-group success In 2015, Walsh caught the attention of SwimSwam after achieving her first spot at a national competition for juniors when she was 12 years old.Lepesant, Anne (August 6, 2015). "AgonSwim Weekly Wonders Of Age Group Swimming – 8/5/2015". SwimSwam. Retrieved November 24, 2021. She became the youngest swimmer to qualify for the 2016 US Olympic Trials in 2016.Bliss, Jessica (June 24, 2016). "Nashville swimmer youngest Olympic Trials qualifier". The Tennessean. Retrieved November 24, 2021.Butrico, Anna (June 27, 2016). "Nashville 13-Year Old To Compete As Youngest Swimmer In Olympic Trials". WPLN-FM. Retrieved November 24, 2021. In addition to being the youngest qualifier, at just 13 years of age, she was also the youngest swimmer to compete at the Olympic Trials, where she was 13 years, 4 months, and 13 days old at the time of competition.Brien, Taylor (September 6, 2016). "Swimming World Presents Up & Comers: Gretchen Walsh". Swimming World. Retrieved November 24, 2021. In the one event she qualified to compete in, the 50 meter freestyle, Walsh finished with a time of 26.55 seconds and placed 125th overall."U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Swimming: Women's 50m Freestyle Heats Results Summary". Omega Timing. July 2, 2016. Retrieved November 24, 2021.

In December 2017, Walsh broke her own National Age Group record in the 50 yard freestyle for the girls 13–14 age group with a time of 22.00 seconds in the final of the event at the Speedo Junior Nationals East Championships in Knoxville.Ross, Andy (December 7, 2017). "Gretchen Walsh's NAG Record, Drew Kibler's Double Highlight Thursday Night of Juniors East". Swimming World. Retrieved November 24, 2021. Four months later, in March 2018 and when she was 15 years old, Walsh became the youngest female American swimmer to swim the 50 yard freestyle race in less than 22.00 seconds with a time of 21.85 seconds that also broke the former National Age Group records in the event for the girls 15–16 age group set by both Simone Manuel and Kate Douglass at 22.04 on different dates.Keith, Braden (March 3, 2018). "Gretchen Walsh Becomes Youngest Female Sub-22 In 50Y Free". SwimSwam. Retrieved November 24, 2021.

2018-2020: International breakout In 2018, Walsh qualified for the 2018 Junior Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Suva, Fiji in four individual events, and was selected to swim on four relays as a result. This marked her first time representing the United States internationally.

2018 Junior Pan Pacific Championships In Fiji, Walsh won the gold medal and broke the Championships record in the 100 meter freestyle on the first night of competition with a time of 54.47 seconds, which lowered the previous Championships record of 54.60 seconds set by Simone Manuel in 2012 by over one tenth of a second.D'Addona, Dan (August 23, 2018). "Gretchen Walsh beats Junior Pan Pacs Record in 100 Free". Swimming World. Retrieved November 24, 2021. In addition to this first gold medal, Walsh won gold medals in the 4×100 meter medley relay, 4×100 meter mixed medley relay, 4×100 meter freestyle relay, and the 4×200 meter freestyle relay, a silver medal in the 50 meter freestyle, and placed 12th in the 200 meter freestyle and 16th in the 100 meter butterfly."Gretchen Walsh – Bio". SwimSwam. Retrieved November 24, 2021.

2019 Competing as part of the Nashville Aquatic Club at the 2019 Speedo Southern Premier Meet in Knoxville, Walsh broke the girls 15–16 age group National Age Group record of 47.73 seconds in the 100 yard freestyle set in 2013 by Simone Manuel with a time of 47.49 seconds.Keith, Braden (March 3, 2019). "Gretchen Walsh Breaks Simone Manuel's National Age Group Record". SwimSwam. Retrieved November 24, 2021. In May 2019 SwimSwam ranked Walsh as the number one NCAA recruit from all swimmers across the United States in the high school graduating class of 2021.Anderson, Jared (May 6, 2019). "Way Too Early NCAA Recruit Ranks: Girls High School Class of 2021". SwimSwam. Retrieved November 24, 2021.

2019 World Junior Championships

Ahead of the start of competition at the 2019 World Junior Championships held at Danube Arena in Budapest, Hungary in August, Walsh was named as one of the five captains for the United States contingent of swimmers at the Championships by USA Swimming.Keith, Braden (August 18, 2019). "USA Team For 2019 World Junior Swimming Championships Elects 5 Captains". SwimSwam. Retrieved November 24, 2021. On the second day of competition, August 21, Walsh won her first medal, a gold medal in the 4×100 meter mixed medley relay, swimming the freestyle leg of the relay in 53.60 seconds and helping the relay set new world junior and Championships records in the event with a time of 3:44.84.FINA (August 21, 2019). "7th FINA World Junior Swimming Championships Budapest (HUN): Mixed 4 x 100m Medley Relay Final Results". Omega Timing. Retrieved November 24, 2021. The next day she won her first individual medal of the competition, a gold medal in the 100 meter freestyle with a time of 53.74 seconds.FINA (August 22, 2019). "7th FINA World Junior Swimming Championships Budapest (HUN): Women's 100m Freestyle Final Results". Omega Timing. Retrieved November 24, 2021. She won her third gold medal later the same day, this time swimming the fourth leg of the 4×100 meter mixed freestyle relay in a time of 53.83 seconds to contribute to the relay's winning time of 3:25.92, which was also a new world junior record and Championships record for the event.FINA (August 22, 2019). "7th FINA World Junior Swimming Championships Budapest (HUN): Mixed 4x100m Freestyle Final Results". Omega Timing. Retrieved November 24, 2021.Ross, Andy (August 22, 2019). "Gretchen Walsh Anchors United States' Mixed 4×100 Free Relay World Junior Record in Budapest". Swimming World. Retrieved November 24, 2021. Two days later, on August 24, Walsh won a gold medal in the 4×100 meter freestyle relay, splitting a time of 54.13 seconds for the lead-off leg of the relay to help the relay achieve the winning mark of 3:37.61.FINA (August 24, 2019). "7th FINA World Junior Swimming Championships Budapest (HUN): Women's 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay Final Results". Omega Timing. Retrieved November 24, 2021. On August 25, the final day of competition, Walsh brought her total medal count to six gold medals by winning a gold medal in the 50 meter freestyle in a time of 24.71 seconds as well as winning a gold medal in the 4×100 meter medley relay with a finals relay time of 3:59.13.FINA (August 25, 2019). "7th FINA World Junior Swimming Championships Budapest (HUN): Women's 50m Freestyle Final Results". Omega Timing. Retrieved November 24, 2021.FINA (August 25, 2019). "7th FINA World Junior Swimming Championships Budapest (HUN): Women's 4 x 100m Medley Relay Final Results". Omega Timing. Retrieved November 24, 2021.

2020 In January, Walsh announced her verbal commitment to compete collegiately for the University of Virginia Cavaliers starting in the autumn of 2021.Brandes, Chandler (January 4, 2020). "Gretchen Walsh Joins Sister Alex With Huge Verbal Commitment to Virginia". Swimming World. Retrieved November 24, 2021.Lepesant, Anne (January 4, 2020). "#1 In Class Of 2021, Nashville's Gretchen Walsh Makes Verbal Commitment To…". SwimSwam. Retrieved November 24, 2021. On February 7, Walsh set a new overall National High School record in the 50 yard freestyle in 21.59 seconds, which broke the former record of 21.64 seconds set in 2015 by Abbey Weitzeil.Brandes, Chandler (February 8, 2020). "Gretchen Walsh Drops 21.59 50 Free for New National High School Record". Swimming World. Retrieved November 24, 2021.Neidigh, Lauren (February 8, 2020). "G. Walsh Breaks Weitzeil's National High School Record With 21.5 50 Free". SwimSwam. Retrieved November 24, 2021. The next day, Walsh became the fastest female swimmer in American high school swimming history in the 100 yard freestyle with a time of 46.98 seconds, breaking the former overall National High School record in the event set in 2015 by Abbey Weitzeil at 47.09 seconds.Brandes, Chandler (February 8, 2020). "Gretchen Walsh Blasts 46.98 100 Free for New National High School Record". Swimming World. Retrieved November 24, 2021.Neidigh, Lauren (February 8, 2020). "Gretchen Walsh Takes Down Weitzeil's National HS Record With 46.9 100 Free". SwimSwam. Retrieved November 24, 2021. Later that year, in November at the 2020 U.S. Open Swimming Championships, she won the gold medal in the 50 meter freestyle with a time of 24.65 seconds and the silver medal in the 100 meter freestyle with a 54.37.Hy-Tek (November 16, 2020). "2020 Toyota US Open Championships – Compiled Results". USA Swimming. November 22, 2022.

2020 US Olympic Trials