Alex Walsh
Walsh with her silver medal at the 2020 Olympic Games
Personal information
Full nameAlexandra Walsh
NationalityAmerican
Born (2001-07-31) July 31, 2001
Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
Height6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesMedley, freestyle
College teamUniversity of Virginia
CoachTodd DeSorbo
Medal record
Representing  United States
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place2020 Tokyo200 m medley
World Championships (LC)
Gold medal – first place2022 Budapest200 m medley
Gold medal – first place2022 Budapest4×200 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place2022 Budapest4×100 m medley
Silver medal – second place2023 Fukuoka200 m medley
World Championships (SC)
Gold medal – first place2022 Melbourne4×50 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place2022 Melbourne4×100 m medley
Gold medal – first place2022 Melbourne4×50 m mixed medley
Silver medal – second place2022 Melbourne200 m medley
Silver medal – second place2022 Melbourne4×50 m medley
Bronze medal – third place2022 Melbourne4×200 m freestyle
Pan American Games
Gold medal – first place2019 Lima 200 m backstroke
Gold medal – first place2019 Lima200 m medley
Gold medal – first place2019 Lima4×200 m freestyle relay
World Junior Championships
Silver medal – second place2017 Indianapolis4×100 m freestyle
Junior Pan Pacific Championships
Gold medal – first place2018 Suva200 m medley
Gold medal – first place2018 Suva4×100 m freestyle
Silver medal – second place2016 Maui200 m medley

Alexandra Walsh (born July 31, 2001) is an American competitive swimmer. She is known for her versatility in all four strokes that has allowed her to have success in medley events.[1] Growing up, Walsh was a phenom who started setting national age group records starting at 12 in 2014. She led her high school team to multiple state and national championships. At the 2019 Pan American Games, she won three gold medals.

Walsh started her NCAA career at the University of Virginia in 2020. She helped Virginia win NCAA Championships in 2021, 2022, and 2023. She qualified for the 2020 Summer Olympics and won the silver medal in the 200 m individual medley. Walsh won three gold medals at the 2022 World Championships and then won three gold medals, two silver medals, and one bronze medal at the 2022 World Championships (25 m). The following year, she won a silver medal at the 2023 World Championships.

Swimming career

Early career

Walsh was born in Nashville, Tennessee, in 2001. Her parents are Robert and Glynis Walsh. Glynis also swam competitively and was captain of the Boston College women's swim team in 1993. Walsh has a younger sister, Gretchen Walsh.[2]

The Walsh family moved to Old Greenwich, Connecticut, when Alex was young, and she attended Old Greenwich Elementary School. She began her competitive swimming career at age seven as a member of the Greenwich YWCA Dolphins. She later joined the Chelsea Piers Aquatic Club in Stamford, Connecticut. She swam in the summers for the Rocky Point Club.[3]

Walsh first made headlines at the age of 12 when she broke three 11–12 girl's national age group records in the 100 yard individual medley, 100 yard backstroke, and 200 yard breaststroke at the Connecticut Age Group Championships in March 2014.[4] As a 12-year old, her 200 yard breaststroke time of 2:15.64 also set a new pool record at Wesleyan University.[5]

In 2014, the Walsh family moved back to Nashville, Tennessee, when Alex was 13 years old. There, she competed for the Nashville Aquatic Club, coached by John Morse and Doug Wharam. As a 13-year old, Walsh qualified for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials in the women's 100 and 200 meter backstroke events.[6] Later that year, Walsh broke Missy Franklin's national age group record in the 13–14 girl's 200 yard individual medley with a time of 1:56.20.[7]

In June and July, Walsh competed at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials in Omaha, Nebraska. She was a semi-finalist in the women's 100 and 200-meter backstroke events, in which she placed 14th and 11th, respectively.[8] Walsh then competed at the 2016 Junior Pan Pacific Championships in Maui, Hawaii, in August. She won a silver medal.

High school

Walsh attended middle and high school at Harpeth Hall School. She competed at the 2017 Junior World Championship in Indianapolis, Indiana, in August. She swam in the final of the 4×100 m freestyle relay, winning a silver medal. Walsh's high school team, coached by Polly Linden, captured the state swimming and diving championship in 2017.[9]

Walsh competed at the 2018 Junior Pan Pacific Championships in Suva, Fiji, in August. She won two gold medals. Walsh continued to break multiple national age group records throughout high school career.[10][11][12][13] In 2018, she set the NISCA independent school record in the 100 yard breaststroke. Harpeth Hall School repeated as state champions in 2018.[14] They were also named SwimmingWorld national champions.[15]

Walsh competed at the 2019 Pan American Games held in Lima, Peru, in August. In total, she won three gold medals: two individual gold medals in the women's 200-meter individual medley and women's 200-meter backstroke and a gold medal in the women's 4x200 m freestyle relay.[16] Harpeth Hall School was named SwimmingWorld national champions for the second straight year in 2019.[17] Walsh was an eight-time NISCA/Speedo high school swimming All-American.

Walsh competed at the 2019 U.S. Open in Atlanta, Georgia, in December. She won the silver medal behind Olympian Melanie Margalis in the women's 200-meter individual medley. Her time of 2:09.01 shattered the 17–18 girl's national age group record previously set by Elizabeth Pelton in 2011.[18] Walsh graduated from Harpeth Hall School in 2020.

2021 NCAA season

Walsh attends the University of Virginia and started competing on their swimming team, coached by Todd DeSorbo, starting in her freshman season of 2020–21. At the 2021 Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Championships, Walsh won the 200 yard individual medley, finished third in the 200 yard backstroke, and finished fourth in the 100 yard breaststroke. She swam on four of Virginia's first place relays (200 free relay, 400 free relay, 800 free relay, 400 medley relay).[19] Walsh was named the ACC Rookie of the Year.[20]

At the 2021 NCAA Division I Championships in March, Walsh anchored the women's 4 x 200 yard freestyle relay to first place, which marked the University of Virginia's first NCAA relay title in program history. Walsh was the NCAA champion in the 200 yard individual medley, finished fifth in the 200 yard breaststroke, and finished fifth in the 200 yard freestyle. She was also part of the 200 and 400 freestyle relays that finished second. Virginia won their first-ever team championship.

2021 Summer Olympics

In June, Walsh competed at the 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials. She won the women's 200-meter individual medley with a time of 2:09.30 to qualify for the 2020 Summer Olympics. The race had the closest finish in the history of the Olympic Trials with only 0.04 seconds separating first place finisher Walsh, second place finisher Kate Douglass (Walsh's teammate at Virginia), and third place finisher Madisyn Cox.[21] The race was ranked one of the top moments of the Olympic Swim Trials.[22]

At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in July, Walsh won silver in the 200 m individual medley. In a thriller of a race, Walsh led down the stretch in the freestyle portion. She finished with a time of 2:08.65, just behind Japan's Yui Ohashi by 0.13 seconds.[23]

2022 NCAA season

During her sophomore season at Virginia, Walsh was joined on the team by her younger sister, Gretchen.[24] At the 2022 ACC Championships, Alex was a three-time individual champion in the 200 yard individual medley, 200 yard freestyle, and 200 yard breaststroke and also won three relay titles.[25]

At the 2022 NCAA Division I Championships in March, Walsh won three individual titles: the 200 yard individual medley, 400 yard individual medley, and 200 yard butterfly.[26] She set an American, NCAA, U.S. Open, and pool record in the 200 yard individual medley with a time of 1:50.08.[27] She swam on the 400 medley relay, and 400 freestyle relay that broke the NCAA, American, U.S. Open, and pool records.[28] Walsh also participated in the 800 freestyle relay, which placed second. She won a total of six gold medals and one silver medal at the meet, and Virginia won their second straight team national championship. That season, Walsh was a finalist for the Honda Sports Award in swimming and diving.

2022 World Championships

In April, Walsh competed at the U.S. International Team Trials and qualified for the 2022 World Aquatic Championships team in the women's 4x200-meter freestyle relay.[29] She placed sixth in the final with a time of 1:57.84. Walsh also won the women's 200-meter individual medley, setting a new U.S. Open record in the final with a winning time of 2:07.84.[30][31]

In June, Walsh became a world champion at the 2022 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. Her gold medal winning time (2:07:13) in the 200 meter individual medley was more than a second faster than the second place finisher. In that race, she became the second-fastest American of all time and fifth-fastest world performer of all time.[32][33] In total, she finished the 2022 World Championships as a three-time gold medalist, also winning gold in the women's 4 x 200 meter freestyle relay and women's 4 x 100 meter medley relay.[34]

In December, Walsh competed at the 2022 Short Course World Championships in Melbourne, Australia. She won three gold medals, two silver medals, and one bronze medal, participating in one individual event and five relays.[35][36] In the 200-meter individual medley, Kate Douglass and Alex Walsh finished first (2:02.12) and second (2:03.37), respectively. Both swimmers broke the previous American record and became the only American women to ever break 2:04.[37] Walsh swam the first leg of the 4x200-meter freestyle relay, which won bronze and broke the American record with a time of 7:34.70.[38][39]

2023 NCAA season

At the 2023 NCAA Division I Championships in March, Walsh won a gold medal, a silver medal, and a bronze medal in her individual events. Virginia won all five relay events, and Walsh swam on four of them. Virginia won their third straight national championship.

2023 World Championships

In June and July, Walsh competed at the 2023 U.S. National Championships. She won silver medals in the 200 m individual medley and 400 m individual medley and was named to the 2023 World Championships team.

At the 2023 World Championships in July, Walsh won a silver medal in the 200 m individual medley as part of an American one-two finish with Kate Douglass. Walsh then finished fourth in the 400 m individual medley.

Outside the pool

Walsh was featured in Mary Ellen Pethel's book entitled Title IX, Pat Summit, and Tennessee's Trailblazers: 50 Years, 50 Stories. The book was published in 2022 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Title IX and to honor female athletes and coaches with connections to the state of Tennessee.[40] Walsh spoke about opportunities available for current NCAA athletes after the passage of the NCAA NIL (name image likeness) Policy in 2021.[41] She also discussed the social pressures that come with being an athlete on social media. When commenting about her future, she was quoted as saying "I've come a long way, but I've still got a long way to go."[42]

Walsh and her sister Gretchen made history as being the first NCAA athletes to ever launch an apparel line with a major retailer after the passage of the NIL. In September 2022, Alex and Gretchen released a collaboration with Sporti by Swimoutlet.com and created their swimsuit line called, Sporti x Alex + Gretchen Walsh.[43] In an article entitled "The Walsh Sisters: From the Olympics to Swimwear Designers," Alex said: "After the summer Olympics in 2021, I signed with Swim Outlet, and they had the idea of doing a swimsuit line collaboration. Then Gretchen hopped on and signed on with them too. We immediately knew we would do it together. She's also one of the fastest swimmers in the world."[44]

Awards and honors

  • Nominee for the 2022 USA Swimming Golden Goggles: Female Swimmer of the Year[45]
  • Nominee for the 2022 USA Swimming Golden Goggles: Female Race of the Year[46]
  • ACC Championships February 2022: Women's Most Valuable Swimmer of the meet[47]
  • SwimSwam, Ultra Swimmer of the Month: March 2022[48]
  • All-American 2022: 200 individual medley, 400 individual medley, 200 butterfly, 200 freestyle relay, 400 freestyle relay, 800 freestyle relay, 400 medley relay[49]
  • All-American 2021: 200 individual medley, 200 breaststroke, 200 freestyle, 200 freestyle relay, 400 freestyle relay, 800 freestyle relay[50]
  • ACC Women's Rookie of the Year 2021[51]
  • VaSID Rookie of the Year 2021[52]
  • Tennessee High School Female MVP 2016 to 2019[53]

Records

Long Course Meters (50 meter pool)
No. Event Time Meet Location Date Type Status Reference
1 200 meter individual medley 2:07.13 2022 World Championships Budapest, Hungary June 19, 2022 US Current [32]

Legend: NR – American record; US – US Open record

Short Course Meters (25 meter pool)
No. Event Time Meet Location Date Type Status Reference
1 4 × 200 meter freestyle relay 7:43.70 2022 World Championships (25 m) Melbourne, Australia December 14, 2022 NR Current [38]

Legend: NR – American record; US – US Open record

Short Course Yards (25 yard pool)
No. Event Time Meet Location Date Type Status Reference
1 200 yd individual medley 1:50.07 2023 NCAA Championships Knoxville, Tennessee March 19, 2022 NR, US Current [27]
2 4 × 50 yd freestyle relay 1:24.47 2022 Atlantic Coast Conference Championships Atlanta, Georgia February 16, 2022 NR, US Current [54]
3 4 × 100 yd medley relay 3:22.34 2022 Atlantic Coast Conference Championships Atlanta, Georgia February 18, 2022 NR, US Current [55]
4 4 × 100 yd medley relay (2) 3:22.34 2022 NCAA Championships Atlanta, Georgia March 18, 2022 NR, US Current [56]
5 4 × 100 yd freestyle relay 3:06.91 2022 NCAA Championships Atlanta, Georgia March 19, 2022 NR, US Current [57]

Legend: NR – American record; US – US Open record

References

  1. ↑ "A Look At the Incredible Versatility of Virginia Star Alex Walsh". Swimming World News. February 26, 2022. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Alex and Gretchen Walsh Chasing the Ultimate Dream... Together". Swimming World News. June 14, 2020. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  3. ↑ Ericson, Scott (July 28, 2021). "'Special relationship with the water': Former Greenwich resident Walsh wins silver medal at Olympics". GreenwichTime. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  4. ↑ "RACE FOOTAGE: Watch Alexandra Walsh's 200-Yard Breast National Age Group Mark". Swimming World News. March 17, 2014. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  5. ↑ Schietinger, Erica (March 18, 2014). "CHELSEA PIERS ATHLETIC CLUB BOYS AND GIRLS SWIM TEAM WINS COMBINED TEAM AGE GROUP STATE CHAMPIONSHIP". Chelsea Piers Connecticut Press Release. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  6. ↑ "2 Nashville 13-Year-Old Girls Qualify for the Olympic Swim Trials!". StyleBlueprint. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  7. ↑ "Race Video: Watch Alex Walsh Break Missy Franklin's 13–14 200 IM NAG". Swimming World News. December 11, 2015. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  8. ↑ USA Swimming (July 3, 2016). "2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials Swimming Results" (PDF). USA Swimming. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  9. ↑ Murphy, Michael. "Harpeth Hall wins another swim title". The Tennessean. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  10. ↑ Sutherland, James (December 10, 2016). "Alex Walsh Breaks 15–16 NAG In 100 Breast At Winter Juniors (East)". SwimSwam. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  11. ↑ Hart, Torrey (December 8, 2017). "Alex Walsh Blasts 1:54.02 200IM to Grab 15–16 NAG". SwimSwam. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  12. ↑ Keith, Braden (December 9, 2017). "Alex Walsh Breaks 15–16 National Age Group Record in 100 Breaststroke". SwimSwam. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  13. ↑ Keith, Braden (March 4, 2019). "Alex Walsh Breaks 6-Year Old National Age Group Record in 200 Breast". SwimSwam. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  14. ↑ "Alex Walsh Sets National Mark; Harpeth Hall Girls, Baylor Boys Win Tennessee HS States". Swimming World News. February 11, 2018. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  15. ↑ "Swimming World Presents "Repeat Champions: Harpeth Hall Girls Dominate National Championships Again"". Swimming World News. September 4, 2019. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  16. ↑ Pan American Games (2019). "Pan American Sports Results 2019" (PDF). LIBRO DE RESULTADOS LIMA 2019. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  17. ↑ "Swimming World Presents "Repeat Champions: Harpeth Hall Girls Dominate National Championships Again"". Swimming World News. September 4, 2019. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  18. ↑ Penland, Spencer (December 6, 2019). "Alex Walsh Shatters 17–18 LCM 200 IM NAG with 2:09.01". SwimSwam. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  19. ↑ "Virginia Wins 2021 ACC Women's Swimming & Diving Championship". theacc.com. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  20. ↑ "Besting the Waters". Give to UVA. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  21. ↑ Johnson, Annika (June 17, 2021). "2021 U.S. Olympic Trials: Women's 200 IM Final Was Closest Finish In History". SwimSwam. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  22. ↑ "Top moments from U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials | NBC Olympics". www.nbcolympics.com. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  23. ↑ Nashville, TYLER PALMATEER Main Street. "Alex Walsh takes silver in Tokyo Olympics 200-meter individual medley thriller". Main Street Preps. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  24. ↑ "Gretchen Walsh Makes History With Both Sister Alex Walsh and Kate Douglass on Incredible Sprinting Night for Virginia (VIDEO)". Swimming World News. March 18, 2022. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  25. ↑ Boyce, Kathleen. "Highlight Hoos: Alex Walsh and Kate Douglass | UVA Swimming". Sports Illustrated Virginia Cavaliers News, Analysis and More. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  26. ↑ Sutherland, James (March 22, 2022). "2022 Women's NCAA Championships: Results & Records Summary". SwimSwam. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  27. 1 2 Hruby, Emma (March 18, 2022). "Virginia's Alex Walsh breaks American, NCAA record in 200 IM". Just Women's Sports. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  28. ↑ Berman, Sarah (March 19, 2022). "Virginia Ties American, NCAA Records in 400 Medley Relay; Breaks Meet Record". SwimSwam. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  29. ↑ USA Swimming (2022). "2022 FINA World Championships Roster" (PDF). 2022 FINA World Championships Roster. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  30. ↑ USA Swimming (April 27, 2022). "Phillips 66 International Team Trials" (PDF). USA Swimming. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  31. ↑ USA Swimming (April 30, 2022). "Phillips 66 International Team Trials" (PDF). USA Swimming. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  32. 1 2 Li, Yanyan (May 1, 2022). "Alex Walsh Breaks U.S. Open Record With 2:07.84 200 IM, #2 American Ever". SwimSwam. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  33. ↑ Li, Yanyan (June 19, 2022). "Alex Walsh Clocks 2:07.13 200 IM, Becomes #5 Performer Of All-Time". SwimSwam. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  34. ↑ FINA (July 3, 2022). "19th FINA World Championships, Budapest (HUN), 18 June – 3 July 2022" (PDF). 19th FINA World Championships, Budapest (HUN). Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  35. ↑ Nashville, Tom Wood Main Street. "Nashville swimmer Alex Walsh helps Team USA dominate at FINA World Short Course Championships". Main Street Nashville. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  36. ↑ FINA (December 13, 2022). "16th FINA World Swimming Championships (25m), Melbourne (AUS)" (PDF). 16th FINA World Swimming Championships. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  37. ↑ Dornan, Ben (December 13, 2022). "Kate Douglass Swims Second Fastest SC 200 IM In History With 2:02.12 American Record". SwimSwam. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  38. 1 2 "FLASH! Australia Destroys Women's 4x200 Freestyle Relay World Record In 7:30.87". Swimming World News. December 14, 2022. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  39. ↑ "Women's American Records (SCM)". SwimSwam. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  40. ↑ "Belmont professor's book celebrates Pat Summitt and other trailblazers' role in Title IX". The Tennessean. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  41. ↑ "NCAA adopts interim name, image and likeness policy". NCAA.org. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  42. ↑ White, KateLynn. "Q&A: Mary Ellen Pethel on 50 years of Title IX". Nashville Post. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  43. ↑ Content, SwimSwam Partner (September 28, 2022). "Alex and Gretchen Walsh Make History with Sporti Swim Collaboration". SwimSwam. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  44. ↑ "The Walsh Sisters: From the Olympics to Swimwear Designers". StyleBlueprint. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  45. ↑ "2022 Golden Goggles At A Glance Female Athlete Of The Year". usaswimming.org. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  46. ↑ "2022 Golden Goggles At A Glance Female Race Of The Year". usaswimming.org. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  47. ↑ Boyce, Kathleen (July 9, 2022). "Highlight Hoos: Alex Walsh and Kate Douglass| UVA Swimming". Sports Illustrated.
  48. ↑ Sutherland, James (March 31, 2022). "Ultra Swimmer of the Month: Alex Walsh". SwimSwam. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
  49. ↑ "NC State, Virginia Win 2022 ACC Swimming & Diving Championships". theacc.com. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  50. ↑ "Virginia's DeSorbo, Minnesota's Chen Lead Top Division I Awards". CSCAA. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  51. ↑ "ACC Announces 2020–21 Swimming and Diving Annual Awards". theacc.com. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  52. ↑ "2021 University Women's Swimming & Diving All-State Team". vasidsports.com. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  53. ↑ "Alex Walsh". Virginia Cavaliers Official Athletic Site. August 25, 2020. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  54. ↑ Keith, Braden (February 16, 2022). "Virginia Women Break NCAA, US Open Records in 200 Free Relay at ACC Champs". SwimSwam. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  55. ↑ Gibbs, Robert (February 19, 2022). "Virginia Cavalier Women Smash 400 Medley Relay Records with 3:22.34". SwimSwam. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  56. ↑ "NCAA Women's Championships: Virginia Ties American and NCAA Records in 400 Medley Relay; On Cusp of Second Straight Title (VIDEO)". Swimming World News. March 19, 2022. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  57. ↑ Pelshaw, Anya (March 20, 2022). "Virginia Caps Off 2022 NCAAs With American Record in 400 Free Relay". SwimSwam. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
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