One heads into the 2024 Paris Olympics a world record holder.
Her name is Gretchen Walsh .
The other already owns an Olympic silver medal.
Her name is Alex Walsh .
The sisters, both Harpeth Hall graduates, are bringing their swimsuits and swimming aspirations to Paris together, three years after falling short of that accomplishment.
2024 Paris Olympic Games: Complete schedule with TV, time and streaming for every event
Gretchen will compete in the 50-meter freestyle, 400-meter relay and 100-meter butterfly. Her time of 55.18 seconds in the butterfly semifinals at the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials in Indianapolis in late June is a world record.
Alex will compete in the 200-meter individual medley after qualifying second at the Trials. She won silver in that event at the 2020 Tokyo Games.
Here are some things to know about Alex and Gretchen Walsh going into the Games. Swimming competition begins July 27.
Alex and Gretchen Walsh are accomplished collegiate swimmers
Alex had 19 NCAA championships, 27 All-American nods and 26 All-ACC selections at Virginia, which she helped to four straight national championships.
Her championships are in the following events:
- 2024: 200 IM, 200 free relay, 400 IM, 400 medley relay, 200 breast, 400 free relay
- 2023: 400 IM, 400 free relay, 800 free relay, 200 medley relay, 400 medley relay
- 2022: 200 IM, 400 IM, 200 fly, 200 free relay, 400 free relay, 400 medley relay
- 2021: 200 IM, 800 free relay
SEE YOU IN PARIS: Sisters Alex, Gretchen Walsh went from floating in Nashville pools to Olympic Games Paris 2024
HIGH SCHOOL DAYS: How Polly Linden helped build Harpeth Hall swimmers into Olympic contenders
GOLDEN AGE: He was Tennessee's first Olympic gold medalist — and he did it 100 years ago in Paris
Gretchen has 18 NCAA championships, 21 All-American selections, 21 All-ACC nods and three team titles in three seasons at Virginia. She also holds the national high school records in the 50 and 100 free.
Her championships are in the following events:
- 2024: 200 medley relay, 50 free, 200 free relay, 100 fly, 400 medley relay, 100 free, 400 free relay
- 2023: 100 back, 100 free, 200 free relay, 400 free relay, 200 medley relay, 400 medley relay
- 2022: 100 free, 200 free relay, 400 free relay, 200 medley relay, 400 medley relay
Walsh sisters made NIL history with swimwear line
Alex, who will turn 23 on July 31, and Gretchen, 21, became the first collegiate athletes to sign collaborative name, image and likeness deals with a national swimwear company, SwimOutlet. They also have a collaboration deal with Arena.
Mom was a swimmer, dad played football
Glynis Walsh was a team captain on the Boston College women's swim team in 1993. Robert Walsh tried to walk on the University of Tennessee football team but had to quit because of injury.
Who coached the Walsh sisters?
They've had a few coaches, but one of their main swimming influences was John Morse. He began working with the two at the Nashville Aquatic Club when Alex was 13 and Gretchen was 11.
Polly Linden coached them at Harpeth Hall.
Paul Skrbina is a sports enterprise reporter covering the Predators, Titans, Nashville SC, local colleges and local sports for The Tennessean. Reach him at pskrbina@tennessean.com and on the X platform (formerly known as Twitter) @paulskrbina . Follow his work here .
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Gretchen Walsh: Olympics swimming record holder in Paris 2024 with sister Alex what to know
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