Bobby Finke sets world record to win gold in men's 1500m freestyle at 2024 Olympic Games

On Sunday, Bobby Finke shattered the 1500M freestyle world record to win the gold medal in the event at the 2024 Paris Olympics. It is Finke’s second medal at the 2024 Olympics. He also won the silver medal in the 800M freestyle event earlier this week.

Finke posted a stunning 14:30.67 record time in the event. The previous record was held by China’s Sun Yang, who recorded a 14:31.02 time in 2012. Finke is the lone male American swimmer to win an individual gold medal at the 2024 Olympics. The United States has had a male individual win gold in at least one event in every Olympics since 1900.

Finke now boasts four Olympic medals in his career, three of which are gold. The former Florida standout also reeled in two gold medals at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the same distance swimming events. After Finke’s mind-boggling performance, he pulled back the curtain on his emotions.

“I saw I had a lead at the hundred [meter mark] and I was like, ‘I really just got to try and keep going. Try to just stay ahead and keep the momentum going, and hopefully, I can break a couple of the guys and hopefully get them to forget about me,'” Finke said. “I could peek at the board and see the world record line. I was like, ‘Oh sh*t, here we go.’ So I’m just happy to get that gold for the guys.”

Bobby Finke uses frustration to motivate himself

Finke had no shortage of motivation. To start, he was frustrated with his performance in the 800M freestyle earlier in the week. Moreover, his sisters were in attendance to watch him live for the first time at the Olympics.

“I was kind of pissed after the 800, but it was about just getting it going and getting this one done, and world-record time — my first one — so, I’m really, really happy,” Finke said. “I heard the screaming in like the last 100. I know I’m on the line. I know it hit home really hard, and I just got to do whatever I can to try and stay ahead of that world record line.”

Finke succeeded, becoming the first male swimmer to win the 1500M freestyle event in back-to-back Olympics since Australia’s Grant Hackett did so in 2000 and 2004. At 24 years old, Finke has lots of chapters left to write in his story.