Roos Vanotterdijk wins silver and sets new Belgian record at World Aquatics Championships
Belgium's Roos Vanotterdijk won silver in the women's 100m butterfly at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore on Monday. US world record holder Gretchen Walsh took gold with a new championship record.
Vanotterdijk secured her place in the final on Sunday by setting a new Belgian record of 56.07 seconds, over a second faster than her previous national best. In the final, she finished second in 55.84 seconds, behind Walsh who won gold in 54.73 seconds.
Vanotterdijk's win marks the first time since 1998 that Belgium has secured a medal at a World Aquatics Championships long-course swimming event. It is the first world medal for the Belgian swimmer. Walsh's winning time set a new championship record.
On the same day, she failed to qualify for the final of the 100m backstroke, finishing 10th out of the 16 semi-finalists, with only the top eight advancing to the final. She will compete in the 50m backstroke, 100m freestyle, 50m butterfly and 50m freestyle later this week.
In June, she won gold in the 100m butterfly at the European U23 Championships in Samorin, Slovakia. Last year, she also became European champion over the same distance at senior level in Belgrade, Serbia.
Roos Vanotterdijk in the semi-final of the women's 100m butterfly at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, 27 July 2025 © PHOTO FRANÇOIS-XAVIER MARIT / AFP
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