AT A GLANCE
Sport
Swimming
Hometown
Nashville, Tennessee
Current Residence
Charlottesville, Virginia
Olympic Medals
2
2
0
About Gretchen
- Made history with her sister Alex Walsh as the first NCAA athletes ever to produce an apparel line with a major retailer, SwimOutlet.com
- Graduating from the University of Virginia with a degree in Math and Finance in 2025
- Became the youngest swimmer to qualify for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Swim Trials at 13 years old
- Awarded “Breakout Performer of the Year” and “Relay Performance of the Year” at the
- 2024 USA Swimming Golden Goggle Awards
- Named 2025 and 2024 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimmer of the Year
- Named 2025 and 2024 ACC Most Valuable Swimmer
- Together with her sister Alex, the Walsh sisters have become one of the most successful sibling duos in NCAA swimming, breaking records and making history together
- Hobbies include playing chess, hanging with friends, and trying new foods
IN THE NEWS
Accolades
- 1x Olympic Champion (2024)
- 4x Olympic Medalist (2 gold, 2 silver)
- 2024: gold, 4x100m medley relay, 4x100m mixed medley relay; silver, 100m butterfly, 4x100m free relay
- 8x World Champion
- 2024: 50m free (SC), 100m free (SC), 50m fly (SC), 100m fly (SC), 100m medley
- (SC), 4x100m free relay (SC), 4x100m medley relay (SC)
- 2023: 4x100m medley relay
- 10x World Championship medalist (8 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze)
- 9x World Record Holder
- 6x SCM World Record Holder
- 50m fly (23.94), 50m free (22.83;), 100m fly (52.71), 100m individual medley (55.11), 4x100m free relay (3:25.01), 4x100m medley relay (3:40.41)
- 3x LCM World Record Holder
- 100m fly (55.18), 4x100m medley relay (3:49.63), 4x100m mixed medley relay (3:37.43)
- 6x SCM World Record Holder
- 9 Individual World Records and 2 Relay World Records at 2024 Swim Championships (SC)
- 4x NCAA Team National Champion for University of Virginia
- 24x NCAA Champion for UVA (2021-2025)
- 9 NCAA individual titles and 15 relay titles
- 23x ACC Champion (7 individual)
- 19x ACC Record Holder
- 27x All-American
- 28x All-ACC
- Set American and NCAA records in the 50m free, 100m free, 100m fly, 50 back, and 100m back
- Contributed to American records in the 400m medley relay (3:22.34), 200m medley relay (1:31.73), 200m free relay (1:23.63), and 400m free relay (3:05.84)
- First woman to ever break the 48 sec mark in the 100m fly, 45 sec mark in the 100m free, and the 20 sec mark in the 50m free
- Recorded the fastest split in 100m free relay history (45.18) and 200m medley relay history (fly, 21.50)
- 6x Junior World Champion
- 2019: gold, 50m free, 100m free, 100m free relay, 100m medley relay, 100m mixed free relay, 100m mixed medley relay
Testimonial
“Both Gretchen and Alex were not only engaging speakers but also inspiring role models who captivated our partners with their stories of perseverance, dedication, and success. Their presence elevated the experience for everyone in attendance, and we couldn’t have asked for better ambassadors to help us connect the values of hard work and achievement.”
Bri Young
Sr. Director Sponsorship Sales and Partnerships, Penske Entertainment
GAllery
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