Although only a handful of individual gold medallists from the Paris Olympics attended, there were plenty of milestones from the recent World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) in Budapest.
• By winning the women’s 800m free, Lani Pallister became just the 4th Australian woman to retain an individual title and the first since Felicity Galvez won the 100m butterfly in 2008 and 2010.
• Elijah Winnington’s gold in the men’s 400m free was Australia’s 5th victory in the event, making it our most successful event in terms of gold medals alongside the men’s 1500m free
• Australia’s bronze in the women’s 4x200m free was our 13th medal in the event, making it our most successful event at the world champs in terms of total medals (2 gold, 3 silver, 8 bronze)
• Australia has now won 94 gold medals, with our men’s and women’s totals remaining identical at 47 apiece.
• Australia retains the position as world no.2 with 94 gold medals (278 total) behind the USA (163 gold, 413 total)
• Australia selected 9 national team rookies, the most at an away world short course champs since we sent 17 to Dubai in 2010
• US swimmer Gretchen Walsh’s 7 gold medals has only ever been eclipsed by Olivia Smoliga who won 8 in Hangzhou in 2018.
• Walsh’s 7 gold rocketed her straight to the top of the list of winning the most gold medals without winning a medal of any colour
• 5 of her gold were won in individual events, equalling the hauls of Brooke Hanson (2004) and Ryan Lochte (2010)
• With 18 medals between them, US sisters Gretchen and Alex Walsh eclipsed Sweden’s Louise and Sophie Hansson as the most successful siblings
• With victories in the 50,100 and 200m backstroke Regan Smith (USA) became the 8th swimmer and 5th female to win all 3 events in a form stroke.
• USA’s 38 medals (18 gold) were the most by any nation since they won 41 (21 gold) in Indianapolis in 2004
• Estonia became the 56th nation to win a medal when Eneli Jefimova won bronze in the women’s 100m breaststroke, while Switzerland became the 41st to win gold thanks Noé Ponti
• Kylie Masse’s silver in the 4x50m mixed medley was her 10th medal (7 gold, 3 silver) and she now sits just behind Dutchwoman Maaike de Waard’s record of 11 medals (5 silver, 6 bronze), the most by any swimmer without winning gold
• 30 world records were set, eclipsing the previous highest of 23 at Doha in 2014
• Gretchen Walsh (USA) broke 9 individual world records and 2 as part of relays, the most by any swimmer in a single edition of a global meet
• Walsh (100m butterfly) was also the first to set world records in all 3 phases of an individual event (heat, semi, final)
• Regan Smith’s world record in the women’s 100m backstroke (in 4x100m medley) was the 100th women’s world record in championship history
• Jordan Crooks (Cayman Is) became the first swimmer to crack the 20-sec barrier in the 50m free (19.90 semi)
World Swimming Championships (25m) Budapest 2024
