{"id":643075,"date":"2026-05-05T03:20:38","date_gmt":"2026-05-05T10:20:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=643075"},"modified":"2026-05-05T08:20:52","modified_gmt":"2026-05-05T15:20:52","slug":"poll-what-major-womens-barrier-is-likely-to-fall-first-100-butterfly-100-backstroke-200-freestyle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/poll-what-major-womens-barrier-is-likely-to-fall-first-100-butterfly-100-backstroke-200-freestyle\/","title":{"rendered":"POLL: What Major Women’s Barrier is Likely to Fall First? 100 Butterfly? 100 Backstroke? 200 Freestyle?"},"content":{"rendered":"

POLL: What Major Barrier is Likely to Fall First?<\/strong><\/p>\n

With Gretchen Walsh<\/strong> 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<\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n

But Walsh is not the only athlete threatening a special barrier. In the 100 backstroke, Regan Smith<\/strong> (57.13) and Kaylee<\/strong> McKeown<\/strong> (57.16) have the ability to go 56-point. Meanwhile, Isabelle Stadden<\/strong> (57.55) has put herself in contention, with Katharine Berkoff<\/strong> (57.83) also in the mix.<\/p>\n

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<\/strong> and Canadian Summer McIntosh<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n

In this Swimming World poll, we ask the readership: What barrier is mostly likely to be broken first?<\/p>\n

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