Walsh ups short course swim world records tally

BUDAPEST, Hungary — American swimmer Gretchen Walsh set three more world records Friday at the world short course championships.

She lowered the 100-meter individual medley time to 55.11 seconds in the final, and the 100 butterfly record twice.

In the morning heats, Walsh broke Canadian Margaret Mac Neil’s mark of 54.05 from 2022 to 53.24. Then, she dropped it again in the evening semifinals to 52.87.

Walsh has seven world records in Duna Arena this week.

The U.S. men’s 4×200 relay team achieved two world records in the same final.

The team clocked a winning 6:40.51, slashing nearly four seconds off its own record from the last championships in 2022 in Melbourne, Australia.

Also, Luke Hobson on the lead-off leg set the individual 200 freestyle world record that Peter Biedermann of Germany held since 2009.

Americans also claimed the day’s other world records: Regan Smith won the women’s 50 backstroke final in a world record time of 25.23, and Kate Douglass improved her own world record in the 200 breaststroke from October to 2:12.50.

The 25-meter pool is half the length of an Olympic pool.