Gretchen Walsh

Gretchen Walsh is a 2x Olympic champion, 11x World Champion, and 9x world record holder who has redefined women’s sprint swimming. A standout at the University of Virginia, she became the first woman to break milestone barriers in the 50 free, 100 free, and 100 fly. Off the pool deck, Gretchen enjoys chess, travel, and exploring new foods.

At a Glance

Sport

Swimming

Hometown

Nashville, Tennessee

Current Residence

Charlottesville, VA

About

Olympic Champion, World Record Holder, and one of the most dominant swimmers of her generation
Made history with sister Alex Walsh as part of the first NCAA athlete duo to launch an apparel line with a major retailer (SwimOutlet.com)
Graduated from the University of Virginia in 2025 with a degree in Math and Finance
Named NCAA Division I Women’s Swimmer of the Year (2025, 2024) and ACC Most Valuable Swimmer (2025, 2024)
Winner of the 2025 Honda Cup as Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year
Awarded “Breakout Performer of the Year” and “Relay Performance of the Year” at the 2024 Golden Goggle Awards
Became the youngest swimmer to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Trials (age 13, 2016)
Part of one of the most accomplished sibling duos in NCAA swimming history
Interests include chess, travel, and exploring new foods

Accolades

Olympic Champion

2x Olympic Champion and 4x Olympic Medalist in 2024: gold, 4x100m medley relay, 4x100m mixed medley relay; silver, 100m butterfly, 4x100m free relay

World Champion

11x World Champion and 13x World Championship Medalist

World Record Holder

9x World Record Holder

NCAA Champion and Record Holder

24x NCAA Champion, 27x All-American and 3x Academic All-American

Gretchen Walsh

At a Glance

About

Accolades

Olympic Champion

World Champion

World Record Holder

NCAA Champion and Record Holder

In the News

Swimming World

Swim Swam.com

The University of Virginia