100 m butterfly, women

What to remember

Fort Lauderdale, in the United States, was not hosting a major championship on May 2, 2026, but a meet, the Fort Lauderdale Open. Gretchen Walsh swam the 100 m butterfly there in 54.33 s, in a long course pool.

In 2024, the distance had earned her a silver medal at the Paris Olympics, where she set the Olympic record in the semifinals with 55.38 s. The butterfly and freestyle specialist has also set world records in the 50 m freestyle and in the short course 50 m and 100 m butterfly.

The 100 m butterfly has an unusual place in Olympic history: the women's event came before the men's, in 1956 against 1968. Both have been on the World Championships program since the first edition, in 1973.