World Championships: Gretchen Walsh Removed from U.S. Women’s 400 Freestyle Relay; Erin Gemmell In
The stomach illness that has struck the U.S. team at the World Championships had already made a significant impact as Olympic gold medalist Torri Huske scratched the 100 butterfly while Claire Weinstein did not swim the 400 freestyle. Now, the Americans have been forced to remove Gretchen Walsh from the final roster of the 400 freestyle relay.
Walsh tied for first with Belgium’s Roos Vanotterdijk in the 100 butterfly semifinals, going four tenths slower than she did in the prelims. After that race, the American staff made the change to move Walsh off the squad. It is unclear what symptoms Walsh has dealt with and what prompted the coaches made the switch.
Erin Gemmell takes Walsh’s place on the third leg after posting a strong time of 53.52 on the leadoff leg in the morning session. The relay will also include Simone Manuel on the leadoff leg, Kate Douglass going third and Huske anchoring. Huske’s removal from the 100 fly had been aimed at prioritizing this relay, where the Americans will try to knock off consistent powerhouse Australia for the gold.
