Tonight, Gretchen Walsh achieved two significant milestones. She made history by becoming the first woman to swim the 50 free in under 20 seconds, clocking in at 19.95 in a relay swing. She also set a new record in the individual 50 free by swimming it in 20.57, lowering her own record by 0.2.
Undoubtedly, she is the fastest woman to emerge from the NCAA ranks. However, when we consider these accomplishments on a global scale, it’s challenging to make a direct comparison since the rest of the world doesn’t compete in yards pools.
From an American perspective, it’s fair to say that until Sarah Sjostrom competes in a yards meet, Gretchen Walsh can claim the title of the fastest woman ever.
It’s important to note that this doesn’t necessarily make her the greatest sprinter ever, especially considering the context of yards swimming. But the fact remains, no other woman has broken the 19-second barrier.