Alex Walsh joins sister Gretchen in qualifying for Paris Olympics

Watching the Olympics in Paris next month will now be twice as nice for the Walsh family.

Alex Walsh, a Nashville native and Harpeth Hall grad, qualified for her second Olympic games over the weekend. The 22-year-old finished second in the women’s 200-meter individual medley, clocking a time of 2:07.86 at the U.S. swimming trials in Indianapolis, trailing only Kate Douglass (2:06.79).

Walsh’s accomplishment came just days after younger sister — and fellow Harpeth Hall grad — Gretchen Walsh, 21, qualified for her first Olympic games, setting a world record in the 100-meter butterfly along the way. Gretchen Walsh also qualified in the 50-meter freestyle and as a member of the 4 x 100-meter freestyle relay team.

“Going with Gretchen is it just a dream come true,” Alex Walsh, 22, told reporters. “I had so much confidence in her that she was going to be able to make the team. Once she did that that second night, I knew that I had to uphold my part of the goal.

“Obviously waiting several days is not ideal for that, but ... more than anything I'm just really happy to have this whole experience with her, because it is once in a lifetime. Being a part of a sibling duo is something that I never take for granted. I'm excited.”

Walsh was a silver medalist at the 2021 Olympic games in Tokyo, finishing second in the 200 IM with a time of 2:08.65.

The two sisters compete at the University of Virginia, where they have been a part of four straight NCAA championships.

“In terms of my sister Gretchen, it's been an honor to watch her so closely make these strides in the sport, and I think a huge part of that is her learning how to deal with … the expectations that we have coming from [Virginia] — we placed great expectations on ourselves,” Walsh said. “We have a lot of pressure to perform. That's our team culture, but we always rise to that, so I think Gretchen is a great example of that.”

Alex Walsh said she and her sister are likely to room together in Paris.

“We know how to take our breaks and pause,” Walsh said. “I've been living with her for the past eight days and it's been a very enjoyable experience. She definitely likes to play music and vibe before our races, which [Saturday] for me was super awesome.

“I was feeling really good in our hotel room getting ready to race. I know every sibling dynamic is different, but I do cherish ours. And I think we work well together and ... we’re always supporting each other no matter what.”

This story was first published by our sister publication Nashville Post.