Aug. 4 (UPI) — Bobby Finke and the women’s 4×100-meter relay team each set world records to earn two more gold medals for Team USA on Sunday, the final day of Summer Olympics swimming competition in Paris.
Finke earned the Americans’ first swimming medal of the day, defending his Tokyo 2020 title in the men’s 1,500-meter swim.
The Tampa, Fla., native, who won silver in the 800-meter freestyle after winning that event in Tokyo, clocked a 14:30.67 on Sunday to break the previous world record in the 1,500, set at London 2012 by China’s Sun Yang.
“I could peak at the board and see the world record line,” Finke told NBC at La Defense Arena. “I’m just happy to get the gold for the guys here. It’s been quite the trip and we are ending on a high note.”
“It’s good to get this going. World-record time and I’m really happy.”
Gregorio Paltrinieri of Italy finished second, nearly four seconds behind Finke. Ireland’s Daniel Wiffen earned bronze, 8.96 seconds behind the world-record breaker.
Americans Ryan Murphy, Nic Fink, Caeleb Dressel and Hunter Armstrong went on to a second-place finish in the next swimming event, the men’s 4×100-medley relay. China won gold in the event with a time of 3:27.46, 0.55 ahead of the Americans. France placed third.
The second-place finish marked the first time Americans lost in the event’s history at the Summer Olympics.
Team USA made up for that setback by winning the women’s 4×100-meter medley relay, the final swimming event of the Paris Olympics, in world-record fashion.
Regan Smith, Lilly King, Gretchen Walsh and Torri Huske swam to that gold medal, clocking an unprecedented time of 3:49.63. Australia placed second, while China won bronze.
Americans combined to win an Olympics-best 28 medals in swimming events in Paris, including eight golds, which also led all nations. Australia won 18 swimming medals, the second-most of the Olympics. China won the third-most medals (12) in swimming.
China’s Zhang Yufei finished the Summer Olympics as the most-decorated swimmer. She won six medals, including three through individual events. Her medal haul included five bronze and a silver.
Huske and Smith won five medals apiece, tied for the second-most of the Olympics. Huske’s three gold medals were tied for the second-most of all swimmers — and all Olympic athletes — as of Sunday afternoon.
