Walsh blazes to 50 fly win as the US opens Pan Pacs with 3 sweeping 1-2 finishes

Gretchen Walsh won the women's 50-meter butterfly at the Pan Pacific Championships on August 12, 2026, touching the wall in 24.65 seconds at the outdoor pool in Irvine, California. Teammate Kate Douglass finished second, becoming the third woman to break the 25-second barrier with her preliminary time of 24.99. The United States recorded three 1-2 finishes on the opening night of the competition.