The 2024 U.S. Olympic Swimming Team Trials presented by Lilly are underway from Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The 20,000-plus fans that packed the home of the Indianapolis Colts were treated to a thrilling hour on Night 1, which saw the first U.S. Olympic swimming team spots clinched, a legend further her legacy and an eight-year-old world record fall.
Katie Ledecky lived up to her billing as the star attraction, locking up her place at a fourth career Olympic Games. However, the highlight of the night came in the semifinals of the women’s 100m butterfly, where Gretchen Walsh became the first swimmer in 16 years to break a world record at U.S. Trials.
See below for full event-by-event recaps and results from Night 1 of the 2024 U.S. Olympic Swimming Team Trials.
It only took until the second race of Night 1 of the 2024 U.S. Swimming Team Trials for a world record to fall.
Gretchen Walsh, in the second semifinal of the women’s 100m butterfly, touched in 55.18 seconds to eclipse the previous mark of 55.48 seconds, previously set by Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom at the Rio 2016 Olympics.
It was the first time a world record fell at a U.S. Trials in 16 years.
Of course, Walsh still has work to do in Sunday night’s final to ensure that she will be headed to Paris.
Torri Huske won the first semifinal in 55.79 to secure her spot in the final as well.
ADVANCING TO FINAL:
1) Gretchen Walsh: 55.18 (WR)
2) Torri Huske: 55.79
3) Regan Smith: 55.92
4) Alex Shackell: 56.78
5) Claire Curzan: 57.24
6) Emma Sticklen: 57.77
7) Beata Nelson: 57.80
8) Kelly Pash: 57.97
