NANTERRE, France — Bobby Finke and the U.S. women’s swim team set world records on Sunday, achieving remarkable victories in the 1,500-meter freestyle and the 4×100-meter medley relay. Despite experiencing a decline in gold medal wins, American swimmers still claimed the highest medal count at the recent swimming competition in Paris.
The U.S. team made 28 appearances on the podium but only secured first place eight times. While these numbers surpass those of any other country, they reflect a slight downturn by the historically high standards of U.S. swimming.
In previous Olympic Games, American swimmers have finished with medal counts including 30 medals and 11 golds in Tokyo (2020), 33 medals and 16 golds in Rio (2016), and 30 medals and 16 golds in London (2012). Notably, the Americans gathered 31 medals and 12 golds in Beijing (2008) and 33 medals and 14 golds in Sydney (2000).
Finke’s world record time of 14:30.67, achieved in the final individual race of the meet, was significant as it marked the first individual gold for an American man in this competition. The Florida native had previously won the same event in Tokyo, continuing a long-standing streak where at least one American man has won an individual swimming gold in every Olympics since 1904, barring the 1980 Moscow boycott.
“I was putting pressure on myself to try to get it done again,” Finke explained, referring to the pressure surrounding the men’s team’s quest for an individual gold.
The American women’s team, consisting of Regan Smith, Lilly King, Gretchen Walsh, and Torri Huske, concluded the event on a high note, finishing the 4×100 medley relay in 3:49.62, displaying their dominance.
This victory followed a thrilling race where the Chinese men clinched gold from the U.S. in the 4×100 medley, a title America has previously held in 15 out of 16 finals leading up to this event. The U.S. team—Ryan Murphy, Nic Fink, Caeleb Dressel, and Hunter Armstrong—earned a silver medal, with France taking the bronze.
Caeleb Dressel acknowledged the growing competitiveness in swimming, praising athletes from Italy, France, and China. “The wealth is just getting spread around; we’re not getting any worse. It’s good for the sport to have the whole world involved,” said Dressel, who himself secured two gold medals and one silver in these Games.