6 days of swimming action have passed quicker than we imagined. But now that the World Short Course Championships are over, Gretchen Walsh’s performance is drawing the public’s attention. And why not? With 9 world records, she’s left Budapest as the most successful female of the lot!

With 43 points and multiple trips to the podium, Walsh was way ahead of her competitors, Regan Smith and Summer McIntosh. And now, 7 new golds will deck up her trophy cabinet, while the meet earnings will make her pockets much heavier. However, what perhaps topped it all was getting showered with praise by one of the finest swimming coaches of all time!

Looking at how Gretchen Walsh performed at the World Short Course Championships 2024, the man who coached Michael Phelps to 28 Olympic medals, Bob Bowman couldn’t keep calm. He extended his appreciation for the American saying, “She is just amazing.” Bowman also believed that the way Walsh stood out in Budapest showed that, “She’s very well coached, she’s in an excellent programme, clearly.”

Well, the veteran had his reasons, and he wasn’t shy about sharing them. According to him, Gretchen Walsh’s biggest strength is that “She is physically an amazing swimmer, but technically she is as good as it gets” And that perfect balance? It makes her look like a mirror image of the swimming G.O.A.T, Michael Phelps, himself.

Bowman readily agreed, “So, she is a combination of all the things that you’s want to have – she is very similar to Michael in that regard in that she has the physical attributes, the mental, technical, she’s in a great programme. She has really good coaching, and she is good under pressure.”

Also, let’s add versatility to the list! No wonder Walsh went home as the best performer in a variety of disciplines, from the 50/100 free, 50/100 fly, 100IM, and 4x100m free to the 4x100m medley relay. Being good at it all is sure a Michael Phelps trait! But not everything that glitters is gold. Her meet earnings, though, looked amazing on paper, highlighting a stark disparity that still exists in the swimming world.

Gretchen Walsh’s earnings too good to be true?

By the end of the 2024 World Aquatics 25m Championships, Gretchen Walsh had quite the haul. Monetarily speaking, she walked away with $291,000 from the six-day meet, which comes up to approximately $300k. Her earnings in the first five days tallied to approximately $42,500, but on the last day, she won the 50m freestyle and the 4x100m medley relay, which shot up the amount, thanks to her world record bonuses, $25,000 and $6,250, respectively.

But what’s wrong with this? Well, World Aquatics has given 300+ swimmers a total of $7.1 million this year. This is the most cash prize they have ever doled out in its 116-year history. Also, this is far beyond what swimmers usually earn. For example, the women’s swimming and diving team at Virginia earns $1.1 million in NIL money.

It’s hardly surprising that swimming values continue to lag behind compared to other sports. When research of the last season’s earnings for swimmers was picked up, it was observed that a normal median swimmer earned a mere $191. This was way less than what basketball and football players were taking home. Also, in swimming, there are only a few personalities who land in the mean higher range. For instance, Gretchen Walsh or Leon Marchand.

Yes, for Walsh, such big numbers are an everyday thing! Before her Paris Olympics performance, Walsh would land in the range of $1,500 – $2,000 per post and $1,800 – $2,500 per reel for a large brand. This was per her Instagram following back then. But now, the dynamics have changed. The numbers have shot up higher, to $2,600 – $3,600 for a post and $3,200 – $4,400 per reel.

How does this look in comparison with the rest? Well, here’s a quick reality check. As per the statistics by Swimming World, over 95% of swimmer NIL deals are less than $1,000. However, there are NCAA swimmers who are racking up five-figure deals. But if you dig into where that money’s coming from, it’s pretty clear: social media. Also, at times public appearance deals can also earn them between $5k and $10k.

But again, these are rare and most likely for those swimmers who have a serious international standing beyond college. So don’t you think Gretchen Walsh’s earnings highlight a major gap?