Bobby Finke Doesn’t Train to Race; He Trains to Win

2022 FINA WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

• June 18-25, 2022 (pool swimming)
• Budapest, Hungary
• Duna Arena
• LCM (50-meter format)
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Reported by James Sutherland.

MEN’S 800 FREESTYLE – FINAL

• World Record: 7:32.12, Lin Zhang (CHN), 2009
• Championships Record: 7:32.12, Lin Zhang (CHN), 2009
• 2021 Olympic Champion: Bobby Finke (USA) – 7:41.87
• 2019 World Champion: Gregorio Paltrinieri (ITA) – 7:39.27

1. Bobby Finke (USA), 7:39.36 AR
2. Florian Wellbrock (GER), 7:39.63
3. Mykhailo Romanchuk (UKR), 7:40.05
4. Gregorio Paltrinieri (ITA), 7:41.19
5. Guilherme Costa (BRA), 7:45.48
6. Gabriele Detti (ITA), 7:47.75
7. Damien Joly (FRA), 7:48.10
8. Daniel Wiffen (IRL), 7:50.63

Bobby did it again.

In the same fashion that he won double Olympic gold last summer in the men’s 800 and 1500 free, American Bobby Finke used a scorching-fast closing 50 to claim gold in the men’s 800 freestyle at the 2022 World Championships.

Finke sat back in fourth for the majority of the race, including at the final turn, but turned on the jets coming home with a blistering split of 25.93 to overtake the European trio of Florian Wellbrock, Mykhailo Romanchuk and Gregorio Paltrinieri to win his first career world title in 7:39.36.

The time is a new American Record for Finke, who blows by his previous mark of 7:41.87 set at last summer’s Olympic Games. He also becomes the first American male to win the 800 free at the World Championships and is the eighth swimmer sub-7:40 in the event (including Wellbrock finishing behind him).