Gretchen Walsh Will Race at Sette Colli in Rome: "Excited to be in the more international scene"

Gretchen Walsh is coming off of a historic performance at the Fort Lauderdale Open, ending the meet with a world record in the 100 Fly of 54.33. After the race, Walsh reflected on "entering a new era" of her pro career, saying she wants to take advantage of the fact that she is a professional and can compete in meets outside the US.

Earlier this year in March, Walsh was among a handful of elite swimmers to compete in the China Open, where she got to speak with other international pros. Those conversations inspired the Virginia grad to decide to race at the Sette Colli Cup in Rome, June 26-28, which is about 7 weeks out from Pan Pacific Championships, Team USA's focus meet of the year.