GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Distance freestyle events haven't been particularly kind to the United States the last few Olympics.
The two longest free events — the 400 and 1,500 meters — produced a combined three medals for the U.S. over the last three Games: a pair of bronze in the 400 and a silver in the 1,500 at Beijing (2008), London (2012) and Rio de Janeiro (2016).
Bobby Finke hopes to change that.
Finke, the senior from Clearwater, Fla., was a freestyle warrior at the Olympic Trials last month when he won the 800, an event being contested in the Olympics for the first time in 2021 at Tokyo, with a time of 7:48.22 that bested the runner-up by a second and a half. That performance put Finke on the U.S. team.
What he did in the 1,500 made the international swimming community take notice.
OK, so it was against a field of Americans swimming a stroke they're not known to fare particularly well with when it comes to distance, but Finke basically went unchallenged in posting a time of 14:46.06, finishing nearly 15 seconds — more than a half a pool length — before his closest competition. The mark wasn't even a personal-best for Finke, who owns both the NCAA and American records in the 1,500 at 14:12.08, which he clocked at the 2020 Southeastern Conference Championships.
That time would rank No. 1 in the world in 2021, more than 22 seconds better than Germany's Florian Wellbrock's 14:36.45. Finke will go to Japan with his trials time sitting fourth-best of the year. His 800-meter time ranks eighth, about seven seconds behind Italy's Gregorio Paltrinieri (7:41.96).
Go ahead and peg him the new hope for the US in lengthy freestyle events.
AT A GLANCE
SPORT: Men's swimming
HOW HE QUALIFIED: Won the 800 freestyle (7:48.22) on June 17, then the 1,500 free (14:46.06) on June 20 at the US Olympic Trials at Omaha, Neb.
TOKYO SCHEDULE: July 27 — 800 free heats. July 29 — 800 free final. July 30 — 1,500 free heats. Aug. 1 — 1,500 free final.
UF CAREER: Four-time All American, and 2021 NCAA champion in the 400 individual medley, as well as a two-time first-team All-SEC selection.
NEED TO KNOW: Finke, whose mother swam in college and father is swim coach at a pool in St. Petersburg, Fla., was the top-rated recruit from the state of Florida in 2018, having won the 200-yard individual medley and 500-yard freestyle in the Class 4A State Meet for Clearwater Countryside High.
QUOTE OF NOTE: "His 800 he wasn't happy with. When I hugged him I said, 'Don't make the next one [the 1,500] this close.' So I guess he took my advice and went out and did what he had to do." — Joe Finke, Bobby's father, recalling a conversation with his son during the Olympic Trials, via Fox 13 Tampa Bay.
Previously: "Gators In Olympic Games" Series
June 26: Cory McGee
June 27: Michelle Moultrie
June 28: Natalie Hinds
June 29: Adriana Leon
June 30: Enzo Martinez-Scarpe
July 1: Kieran Smith
July 2: Genevieve LaCaze Gregson
July 3: Will Claye
July 4: Mark Kolozsvary
July 5: Marife Torres
July 6: Aubree Munro
July 7: Leanne Wong
July 8: Hakim Sani Brown
July 9: Deanne Rose
July 10: Yanis David
July 11: Marquis Dendy
July 12: Lloydricia Cameron
July 13: Bradley Beal
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