The USA swimming resurgence at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships continued with Bobby Finke qualifying for the men’s 800m freestyle final in fourth place overall on Monday, 28 July.
Bouyed on by Gretchen Walsh’s victory last night, the 800m Olympic champion from Tokyo 2020 looked confident on deck as he waved to the crowd upon entering Singapore’s World Championships Arena.
Lining up in a strong final heat, he resisted the temptation to chase down early leaders Sam Short and Sven Schwarz.
With the US coaching box whistling their encouragement every time he came up for air on the final two lengths, Finke kept a constant pace as he stopped the clock in 7:44.02 to book a place in tomorrow’s final alongside the Australian and the German ahead of him.
They join heat 2 winner from Tunisia, Ahmed Jaouadi, who shocked the field with the fastest time overall in 7:41.58.
Reigning Olympic champion Daniel Wiffen of Ireland, whose preparations for this event were severely hampered by a recent appendicitis, finished fifth in his heat to secure the final qualification berth, just behind reigning 400 freestyle world and Olympic champion Lukas Märtens in seventh.
Elsewhere in the morning’s sessions, men’s 100 breaststroke Olympic gold medallist Nicolo Martinenghi of Italy and last night’s 100 breast winner Qin Haiyang qualified for this evening’s 50 breaststroke semi-finals, while reigning Olympic champion Mollie O’Callaghan of Australia booked her place in this evening’s women’s 200 freestyle semis.
USA swimmer Luca Urlando progressed through to the men’s 200 butterfly semis with the fastest qualifying time, with Canadian star Ilya Kharun in third.