Ethan Sears
The gold medal count in swimming is all tied up.
Bobby Finke scored the seventh gold medal in the pool in these Olympics for the United States on Sunday, setting a world-record 14:30.67 time in the 1500-meter freestyle and leading every stroke of the race to finish on the top step of the podium, ahead of Italian Gregorio Paltrinieri.
Finke, who won 1500-meter gold in Tokyo, jumped out to an initial lead but was challenged over the final 200 meters by Paltrinieri as the two challenged the world record time.
Headed into the final turn, Finke was over a second ahead of the Italian — a lead that only grew over the final lap.
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Distance swimming has been the best discipline for the United States in the Paris Games, as Katie Ledecky won the 1500-meter and 800-meter races on the women’s side, while Finke also got silver in the men’s 800-meter.
This gold, however, is crucial because it gives the U.S. a chance to claw back the top spot in the meet on the last day of the Olympic swim competition.
The United States has the most overall medals by a wide margin, but golds have been few and far between as the likes of France’s Leon Marchand and Canada’s Summer McIntosh have starred.
Finke, a native of Tampa, might just be changing that.
