Bobby Finke Sets New World Record and Wins Second Consecutive Olympic Gold in 1,500m Freestyle
- Bobby Finke breaks a 12-year-old world record to win gold in the 1,500m freestyle.
- Italy’s Gregorio Paltrinieri takes silver, and Ireland’s Daniel Wiffen wins bronze.
- Sarah Sjostrom of Sweden claims gold in the women’s 50m freestyle.
In an impressive display of speed and endurance, Bobby Finke of the USA shattered a 12-year-old world record to clinch his second consecutive Olympic gold in the men’s 1,500m freestyle. Finke, who had already won gold in both the 1,500m and 800m freestyle at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, set a new world record with a time of 14:30.67. This broke the previous record of 14:31.02, set by China’s Sun Yang at the London Olympics in 2012.
Finke dominated the race from the start, maintaining a strong lead throughout. Although Italy’s Gregorio Paltrinieri, the Rio 2016 Olympic champion, closed the gap significantly around the 850-metre mark, he could not catch Finke. Paltrinieri finished 3.88 seconds behind Finke, while Ireland’s Daniel Wiffen, who had anticipated the need for a world record to win, ended up 8.96 seconds off the pace.
On the final night of swimming, Sarah Sjostrom of Sweden secured her second gold medal of the Paris Olympics. Sjostrom’s swift performance in the women’s 50m freestyle saw her finish in 23.71 seconds, just short of her own world record. Her dominant swim was marked by a strong start and clear control throughout the single lap. Australia’s Meg Harris won the silver with a time of 23.97, and China’s Zhang Yufei took the bronze with a time of 24.20.
