Alexandria Perkins Smashes Her Own Oceanian Record with 24.60 in 50 Butterfly

By Sean Griffin on SwimSwam

2025 WORLD AQUATICS SWIMMING WORLD CUP – Westmont

• October 17-19, 2025
• Westmont, Illinois
• SCM (25 meters)
• Meet Central
• Psych Sheets
• Live Results
• Live Recaps:
  • Prelims: Day 1 | Day 2
  • Finals: Day 1 | Day 2

Women’s 50 Butterfly — Finals

• World Record: 23.72 — Gretchen Walsh, United States (2025)
• World Junior Record: 24.55 — Claire Curzan, United States (2021)
• World Cup Record: 23.72 — Gretchen Walsh, United States (2025)
• U.S. Open Record: 23.72 — Gretchen Walsh, United States (2025)

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Gretchen Walsh (CLB) – 23.90
2. Alexandria Perkins (AUS) – 24.60
3. Roos Vanotterdijk (BEL) – 25.41
4. Phoebe Bacon (CLB) – 25.45
5. Taylor Ruck (CAN) – 25.61
6. Olivia Wunsch (AUS) – 25.94
7. Laura Lahtinen (FIN) – 25.95
8. Kasia Wasick (POL) – 25.96

Alexandria Perkins has not missed a beat so far this season, setting another Oceanian Record in the women’s 50 butterfly to earn silver at the Westmont World Cup stop on Saturday.

While much of the spotlight was on world record holder Gretchen Walsh, who dominated the race in 23.90, 25-year-old Perkins touched in 24.60, trimming 0.04 off her own record mark of 24.64 set at last week’s Carmel stop, where she also took second.

Prior to last week, her best stood at 24.68, which she swam to take bronze at last year’s Short Course World Championships.

Perkins remains the 10th-fastest woman of all-time in the event:

1. Gretchen Walsh (USA) – 23.72
2. Therese Alshammar (SWE) – 24.38
3. Kate Douglass (USA) – 24.42
4. Beryl Gastadello (FRA) – 24.43
5. Ranomi Kromowidjojo (NED) – 24.44
6. Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) – 24.50
7. Claire Curzan (USA) – 24.55
8. Melanie Henique (FRA) – 24.56
9. Inge Dekker (NED) – 24.59
10. Alexandria Perkins (AUS) – 24.60

This is Perkins’ fifth Australian and Oceanian Record overall, as she also owns the long course 50 fly mark, and the short course 4×50 mixed medley, both set last season.

The swim marked her second personal best in two swims here in Westmont, after she notched 23.45 in the 50 free yesterday to take silver behind Kasia Wasick. That time would have placed her fourth at Short Course Worlds last year and clipped 0.05 off the 23.50 lifetime best she posted for second place in Carmel.

Quite simply, Perkins is rapidly becoming one of Australia’s top talents. The nation had butterfly depth when Emma McKeon retired after the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, but they lacked a top-tier star who could contend for medals—Perkins was a fringe finalist at the time. Since then, she’s proven to be a consistent medal threat at international meets.

After touching 13th in the 100 fly at the Paris Olympics, she earned bronze in both the 50 and 100 fly at Short Course Worlds last December. She broke 57 seconds in the long course 100 fly for the first time in June 2024, then went on to win bronze in the 100 fly (56.33) and silver in the 50 fly at the Long Course Worlds in July.

Look for Perkins to potentially lower her Oceanian Record in tomorrow’s 100 fly. She’s coming off a 54.93 from last week in Carmel, where she shaved 0.17 seconds off her previous mark of 55.10, and a lower 54 could be within reach.

Race Video

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Alexandria Perkins Posts 24.60 In 50 Butterfly To Break Her Own Oceanian Record