American swimmer Gretchen Walsh has once again made history, smashing the world record in the 50m butterfly on the second day of the 2025 World Aquatics Swimming World Cup in Carmel, Indiana. This achievement comes as Australia’s Kaylee McKeown nearly matched the world record in the 200m backstroke, closing out the event’s opening leg with a remarkable performance.
Throughout the three days of intense competition, Walsh and Hungary’s Hubert Kos have set the pace in the race for the overall individual titles in this year’s Swimming World Cup, each delivering standout performances against a field of the sport’s elite.
The Carmel leg of the World Cup delivered excitement from start to finish, with Olympic and world champions thrilling the American crowd. Kaylee McKeown came agonisingly close to breaking the 200m backstroke world record (clocking 1:58.86), bouncing back impressively after an earlier defeat to Regan Smith.
For Team USA, the meet was marked by dominance: Regan Smith, Gretchen Walsh, and Kate Douglass all played leading roles. Walsh set a new world standard in the 50m butterfly (23.72), while Douglass secured victories in both breaststroke distances and the 100m freestyle.
On the men’s side, Hungary’s Hubert Kos swept the backstroke events, positioning himself atop the overall standings, with strong challenges from Caspar Corbeau and Carson Foster. Notable wins also came from Canada’s Ilya Kharun, Australia’s Lani Pallister, and America’s Luke Hobson.
The World Aquatics Swimming World Cup now moves on to Westmont, Illinois, before its final stop in Toronto, promising more world-class competition and record-breaking moments.
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