POLL: What Major Barrier is Likely to Fall First?
With Gretchen Walsh clocking a world-record performance of 54.33 in the 100-meter butterfly last weekend at the Fort Lauderdale Open, a sub-54 marker in the event has come into focus. Walsh has taken the 100 butterfly to spectacular heights, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if the University of Virginia product breaks the 54-second barrier in the future – perhaps as early as this summer’s Pan Pacific Championships in Irvine, California.
But Walsh is not the only athlete threatening a special barrier. In the 100 backstroke, Regan Smith (57.13) and Kaylee McKeown (57.16) have the ability to go 56-point. Meanwhile, Isabelle Stadden (57.55) has put herself in contention, with Katharine Berkoff (57.83) also in the mix.
In the 200 freestyle, the world record currently sits at 1:52.23, courtesy of retired Australian star Ariarne Titmus. In the chase for a sub-1:52 effort, Aussie Mollie O’Callaghan and Canadian Summer McIntosh are best positioned to take down the world record and become the first woman to go 1:51. O’Callaghan owns a best time of 1:52.48 while McIntosh has been as fast as 1:53.65, but that showing was from nearly three years ago.
In this Swimming World poll, we ask the readership: What barrier is mostly likely to be broken first?