At the 2024 NCAA Championships, Virigina’s Gretchen Walsh obliterated the competition, winning seven gold medals, including a US Open/American/NCAA record in the 50-yard freestyle.
In that race, Walsh’s superior underwaters were on full display, bursting out to an early lead off the start and breakout.
Just how fast is Walsh’s underwater kick?
SwimSwam was on the pool deck during a practice in 2022 when Walsh kicked a 100-yard backstroke (with full underwaters off each wall) in a staggering 54-55 seconds.
In an interview with the Social Kick Podcast, she was (somewhat jokingly) asked if she could underwater dolphin kick 50 yards faster than swimming it freestyle.
After some chuckles, you can see the seriousness in her face when she says, “I think it would be faster than my 50 free [swim] though.”
Walsh notes that she has always had strong underwaters, but in recent years, improvement has come from performing a consistent number of kicks off each wall, focusing on the upkick, and getting stronger.
Here is a quick overview of these three points and what swimmers can do in their own training to emulate one of the fastest swimmers on the planet.
Let’s dive in!
