Bobby Finke: Reigning Champion of U.S. Swimming Excellence

Check out all of our 2024 Swammy Awards here.

2024 U.S. Male Swimmer of the Year: Bobby Finke

This year’s U.S. Male Swimmer of the Year award was rather straightforward to bestow, with Bobby Finke receiving his second consecutive Swammy for the U.S. Male Swimmer of the Year.

Although there were two American men who set world records this year, Finke in the long course 1500 freestyle and Luke Hobson in the short course 200 freestyle, Finke stood out as the champion of the men’s team at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, securing the only individual gold medal at an event where every medal was crucial.

Much media coverage surrounded the gold medal race at the 2024 Olympics after Australia surpassed the U.S. at the 2023 World Championships. The women performed admirably, but the men’s team faced criticism from the press due to their “underwhelming” results at the Games, earning only four individual medals leading into the last day, none of which were gold. Finke stepped up, finishing second in the 800 freestyle on the fourth day and clinching the gold in the men’s 1500 free while setting a new World Record.

When questioned about the media criticism following his race, Finke shared with NBC:

“I was going through all the articles and comments and everything; I enjoy reading that stuff. It tends to motivate me internally. Even though it’s disappointing that we’re not dominating anymore, I believe it’s beneficial for the sport and illustrates how much the sport has progressed.”

The swimming pool at the Paris Olympics was largely viewed as a “slow” competition, with only four world records recorded over the nine days of events. Finke was one of the two individual World Record setters at this year’s Olympics, clocking a final time of 14:30.67 in the event, breaking Sun Yang’s 2012 record of 14:31.02. The only other individual record was achieved by Pan Zhanle in the 100 free.

Earlier in the competition, he also swam the 800 free, capturing the silver medal with a time of 7:38.75. This was only slightly off his best and American record of 7:38.67 from the 2023 World Championships.

Finke has revitalized U.S. men’s distance swimming, bringing home two gold medals in the past two Olympic Games after the country had not won the 1500 since 1984.

Honorable Mentions:

• Luke Hobson: Luke Hobson recently established the other men’s World Record for the United States at the 2024 Short Course World Championships in the 200 freestyle, earning the gold medal in the process. He first set the record during the 4×200 freestyle relay in 1:38.91, surpassing Paul Biedermann’s previous record of 1:39.37 from 2009, the last standing record from the “super-suit era” in short course. He went on to win the individual event, reducing his World Record time to 1:38.61. Hobson’s involvement in the 4×200 relay contributed to the men’s World Record in that event as well. He began the year at the 2024 World Aquatics Championships in Doha, where he earned bronze in the 200m freestyle with a time of 1:45.26. He proceeded to break the American and NCAA record in the 200 freestyle short course, recording a time of 1:28.81 at the 2024 NCAA Championships. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Hobson secured the bronze medal in the 200 free.
• Jack Alexy: Jack Alexy played a vital relay role for the U.S. throughout 2024, setting a new National Record in the 100 freestyle at the 2024 Short Course Worlds, winning a gold medal in the process. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Alexy was part of the other men’s gold medal-winning team, the 4×100 freestyle relay, where he led off the relay in 47.44. He also participated in the freestyle leg during the prelims of the men’s silver medal 4×100 medley relay. Earlier this month at the World Championships, Alexy secured five medals, including a gold in the 100 free. He commenced the meet with an American Record in the 100 free, leading off the gold medal 4×100 free relay in 45.05, breaking the previous record of 45.08 held by Caeleb Dressel and Nathan Adrian. He also assisted both the men’s 4×100 medley and the mixed 4×100 medley relays in winning silver with his freestyle leg in both, posting an astounding 44.53 for the quickest split in the field on the mixed relay.
• Nic Fink: Nic Fink has long been a pillar of U.S. men’s breaststroke, and they are currently figuring out how to manage without him. He kicked off the year with three medals at the 2024 World Championships in Doha, taking gold in the 100 breast in 58.57, along with bronze in both the 50 breast and the 200 breast. He achieved his first Olympic medal in July with a second-place finish in the men’s 100 breaststroke at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and he contributed to the men’s 4×100 medley winning silver, as well as the mixed 4×100 medley winning gold and setting a World Record.

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