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Bobby Finke

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Robert Finke
Finke (right) at a swim meet
Personal information
Full nameRobert Christian Finke
NicknameBobby
Born (1999-11-06) November 6, 1999 (age 24)
Tampa, Florida, U.S.
Height6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight172 lb (78 kg)
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesDistance freestyle, individual medley
ClubSaint Petersburg Aquatics
College teamUniversity of Florida[1]
CoachAnthony Nesty
Medal record
Men's swimming
Representing the  United States
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Olympic Games 2 0 0
World Championships 1 2 1
Total 3 2 1
Men's swimming
Representing  United States
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2020 Tokyo 800 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2020 Tokyo 1500 m freestyle
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2022 Budapest 800 m freestyle
Silver medal – second place 2022 Budapest 1500 m freestyle
Silver medal – second place 2023 Fukuoka 1500 m freestyle
Bronze medal – third place 2023 Fukuoka 800 m freestyle
Junior Pan Pacific Championships
Gold medal – first place 2016 Maui 800 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2016 Maui 1500 m freestyle

Robert Finke OLY (born November 6, 1999) is an American professional swimmer. He won two gold medals for the United States in the 2020 Summer Olympics: the men's 800-meter and 1500-meter freestyle swims. Finke is known to his friends by the nickname, Bobby. He swam for the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida from 2018-2022 under Coach Anthony Nesty. He currently swims as a part of the pro group at UF. Before swimming in college, Bobby swam for Coach Fred Lewis on the Saint Petersburg Aquatics club team (also known as SPA), located in Saint Petersburg, Florida.

Career

Early career

At 14 years old, Finke broke the Florida Age Group State Championships (FLAGS) 800m freestyle meet record with a time of 8:25.20. He proceeded to break the 1500m freestyle meet record, dropping over 15 seconds, for a time of 15:56.82. Finke also won the USA Swimming Open Water Junior Nationals by finishing first of all swimmers under 18 years of age. Finke was finished seventh overall in a field that included both the pro open water swimmers as well as collegiate swimmers.[2]

High school career

Finke graduated from Countryside High School in Clearwater, Florida, where he competed with his high school team. He also swam club for Saint Petersburg Aquatics, where he was coached by Fred Lewis. Finke accomplished much during his high school years. Finke became a Team USA World Championship qualifier at FINA in 2017, and a member of the USA Swimming National team. At the 2018 Phillips 66 National Championships Finke finished second in the 1,500-meter freestyle in 14:55.34. Finke posted the third-fastest time ever in the 1,500-meter freestyle at the 2018 Pan Pacific Championships with a mark of 14:48.79. He also became a two-time NISCA All-American and a two-time USA Swimming Scholastic All-America. Finke also was a state champion in several swimming events in Florida's Division 4A. Entering college, Finke was ranked the No. 18-ranked recruit overall, and No. 1 swimmer in the state of Florida for the 2018 class.[3]

College career

Robert Finke swam for the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida from 2018 to 2022. Finke helped the Florida Gators swimming and diving men's team at the University of Florida score lots of points in their 2019, 2020, and 2021 Conference Championship meets. Finke's college coach was Anthony Nesty. During his time at University of Florida, Finke earned a plethora of accolades. Some of these accolades are eleven-time All-American, 2020 All-SEC First Team, 2020 SEC Champion (1,650 Free), 2020 SEC Academic Honor Roll, 2019 SEC Champion (1,650 free and 400 IM), 2019 All-SEC First-Team, 2019 Co-SEC Freshmen Swimmer of the Year, 2019 SEC All-Freshman team, 2021 NCAA Champion in the 400yIM and the 1650y Freestyle and 2022 NCAA Champion in the 1650y Freestyle. Finke turned professional following the 2022 NCAA Championships and has continued training at the University of Florida as a member of Florida's 'Pro Group' under Anthony Nesty[4]

2020 Olympic Trials

The autumn before the 2020 Summer Olympics, in November 2020, Finke won the gold medal in the 1500 meter freestyle with a time of 15:09.14, the silver medal in the 800 meter freestyle with a 7:53.05, and the silver medal in the 400 meter individual medley with a 4:18.08 at the 2020 U.S. Open Swimming Championships.[5] In June 2021, Finke became one of 53 swimmers named to represent the United States at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.[6] He qualified in both the men's 800 meter freestyle and 1500 metre freestyle, placing first in both events at the 2020 US Olympic Trials in Omaha, Nebraska.[7][8]

2020 Summer Olympics

See also: Swimming at the 2020 Summer Olympics
2020 Summer Olympics
Gold medal – first place 800 metre freestyle 7:41.87 (NR)
Gold medal – first place 1500 metre freestyle 14:39.65

In his first Olympic event, Finke won the gold in the men’s 800m freestyle, setting a new American record with a time of 7:41.87.[9] He also placed first in the men's 1500m freestyle with a time of 14:39:65,[10] making him the first American man to win the event since 1984.[11] In the finals of both events, Finke was behind with 50 meters to go, but made a last-minute surge to win.[12][13] He swam the final 50 meters of the 1500 in just 25.78 seconds, more than a full second faster than any split by any other swimmer in the finals.[14] It was also faster than any competitor's final lap in the men's 200m finals[15] and more than half a second faster than the 26.39 seconds for his own final 50 meters in the 800m.[16]

Records

Finke's time of 7:41.87 at the 2020 Olympic Games in the men's 800m freestyle was an American record. He reset the record at the 2022 FINA World Championships with a time of 7:39.36. [17]

Also at the 2022 FINA World Championships, Finke broke the American record in the 1500m Freestyle with a time of 14:36.70. [18]

Finke also holds the U.S. Open record (the fastest time on U.S. soil) in the 800m Freestyle with his time of 7:43.32 from the 2022 Phillips 66 US International Team Trials. [19]

In the short course pool, Finke set the American record in the 1650y Freestyle with a time of 14:12.08 at the 2020 SEC Championships.

International championships

Meet 400 freestyle 800 freestyle 1500 freestyle 400 medley
PACJ 2016 1st (b) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st (b)
WC 2017 21st
PAC 2018 8th 5th 3rd (h)
OG 2020 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s)
WC 2022 1st place, gold medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s)

Personal bests

Short course
Event Time Meet Date Note(s)
1,650 yd freestyle 14:12.08 2020 SEC Swimming and Diving Championships Feb. 18–22, 2020 NR
1,000 yd freestyle 8:34.63 2020 SEC Championships Swimming and Diving Championships Feb. 18–22, 2020

[20]

Long course
Event Time Meet Date Note(s)
1500 m freestyle 14:31.59 2023 World Championships July 30, 2023 NR
800 m freestyle 7:38.67 2023 World Championships July 26, 2023 NR
400 m medley 4:09.69 2023 US National Championships June 27, 2023

Awards and honors

Personal life

Finke was born in Tampa, Florida on November 6, 1999. Finke's mother Jeanne swam for Ball State, while his father Joe is a swim coach with Saint Petersburg Aquatics. Finke also has two older sisters: Autumn Skye Finke, who swam for the University of Florida, and Ariel Summer Finke, who swam for Florida State University[22] and North Carolina State University.[23]

References

  1. ^ "Florida Secures Verbal Commitment from In-state Standout Robert Finke (#7)". SwimSwam. October 14, 2017. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
  2. ^ "Finke, Robert". swimswam.com. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
  3. ^ "Finke Gator Profile". floridagators.com. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
  4. ^ "Bobby Finke – Men's Swimming & Diving".
  5. ^ Hy-Tek (November 16, 2020). "2020 Toyota US Open Championships – Compiled Results". USA Swimming. November 22, 2022.
  6. ^ "Meet the U.S. Olympic Swimming Team for Tokyo | NBC Olympics". www.nbcolympics.com. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
  7. ^ https://www.omegatiming.com/File/00011500030101F104FFFFFFFFFFFF01.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  8. ^ "U.S. Olympic Team Trials: Day 8 Finals". stream.nbcolympics.com. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
  9. ^ Branch, John (July 29, 2021). "Bobby Finke of the United States wins the first Olympic 800 men's freestyle in over 100 years". The New York Times.
  10. ^ "Swimming FINKE Robert – Tokyo 2020 olympics". olympics.com. Retrieved August 1, 2021.[permanent dead link]
  11. ^ "American Bobby Finke wins Olympic gold medal in men's 1,500-meter freestyle". USA Today. Retrieved August 1, 2021.
  12. ^ "Florida's Bobby Finke wins Olympic gold medal in men's 1,500 freestyle with another late rally". gatorsports.com. Retrieved August 1, 2021.
  13. ^ "Team USA's Bobby Finke pulled off a jaw-dropping comeback to win first-ever men's 800m freestyle Olympic gold". USA Today. July 29, 2021. Retrieved August 1, 2021.
  14. ^ Keh, Andrew (August 1, 2021). "Bobby Finke's Big Finish Surprises Himself, and His Rivals". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 16, 2021.
  15. ^ Brennan, Christine. "American Bobby Finke wins Olympic gold medal in men's 1,500-meter freestyle". USA Today. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
  16. ^ Svrluga, Barry (July 29, 2021). "With an epic final length, Bobby Finke wins unexpected gold in the 800 meters". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
  17. ^ "Bobby Finke Resets 800 Freestyle American Record with 7:39.36 to Win Gold". June 21, 2022.
  18. ^ "Bobby Finke Crushes American Record with 14:36.70 1500; #5 Performer All-Time". June 25, 2022.
  19. ^ "2022 U.S. Trials Day 5: Finke, Walsh Break U.S. Open Records, Hayes Makes Team 2022 U.S. Trials Day 5: Finke, Walsh Break U.S. Open Records, Hayes Makes Team". May 2022.
  20. ^ "2020–21 Men's Swimming & Diving Roster". floridagators.com. Retrieved August 2, 2021.
  21. ^ "Katie Ledecky, Caeleb Dressel Named Athletes of the Year at 2021 Golden Goggle Awards". USA Swimming. December 8, 2021. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
  22. ^ "Summer Finke". July 24, 2017.
  23. ^ "Summer Finke – 2018–19 – Swimming".
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