USA Swimming Shines with World Records and Medal Sweep at 2024 Paris Olympics
USA Swimming concluded the pool competition at the 2024 Paris Olympics with a stunning performance, securing two world records and three medals on the final night of events.
In a remarkable display of endurance and skill, Bobby Finke of Clearwater, Fla., won gold in the men’s 1500-meter freestyle with a world-record time of 14:30.67. Finke led from start to finish, demonstrating a strategic approach to maintain his lead and overcome challenges from competitors. “That really was not my strategy to go into the race,” Finke said. “I saw I had a pretty decent lead at around the 300 and I knew I had to keep going.”
The men’s 4x100m medley relay team, consisting of Ryan Murphy, Nic Fink, Caeleb Dressel, and Hunter Armstrong, clinched silver, adding to the day’s impressive haul.
The final event of the pool competition saw the U.S. women’s 4x100m medley relay team—Regan Smith, Lilly King, Gretchen Walsh, and Torri Huske—dominate with a time of 3:49.63, setting a new world record. They finished over three seconds ahead of the second-place Australian team, underscoring their commanding performance.
Overall, USA Swimming led the medal tally with 28 medals, including eight gold, 13 silver, and seven bronze, finishing with the most medals of any nation. The American team set three world records, two Olympic records, and three American records throughout the competition.
Notable individual performances included Katie Ledecky, who earned four medals, becoming the most decorated American female Olympian in history. Torri Huske and Regan Smith each secured five medals, the most among American swimmers at the Games. Ledecky, Kate Douglass, and Gretchen Walsh all earned four medals each, highlighting the depth of talent on the team.
USA Swimming’s relays were particularly impressive, winning gold or silver in all seven events, with two world records and one American record set in the relays.
Women’s head coach Todd DeSorbo praised the team’s performance, emphasizing the resilience and talent of the young squad. “It was a great meet overall. We set our team up to be really good this week,” he said.
Men’s head coach Anthony Nesty highlighted the team’s adaptability and resilience. “We caught our stride in the second half of the meet and the results showed,” he remarked.
Gretchen Walsh, who finished fourth in the women’s 50m freestyle, reflected on her race, expressing pride despite narrowly missing the podium. “I was really proud of my race regardless. I knew I had a bigger opportunity in the relay,” she said.
As the pool competition wrapped up, USA Swimming celebrated a triumphant end to their Olympic campaign, continuing a tradition of excellence in the sport and setting the stage for future success on the global stage.
