Sam Short Smashes His Own Pro Series Record With 7:40.98 800 Free

2026 Pro Swim Series – Westmont

Men’s 800 Freestyle – Final Heat

  • World Record: 7:32.12 – Zhang Lin, CHN (2009)
  • World Junior Record: 7:43.37 – Lorenzo Galossi, ITA (2022)
  • American Record: 7:38.67 – Bobby Finke, USA (2023)
  • U.S. Open Record: 7:40.34 – Bobby Finke, USA (2023)
  • Pro Swim Series Record: 7:45.02 – Sam Short (2025)

Top 8:

  1. Sam Short (AUS)- 7:40.98 *PSS Record
  2. Bobby Finke (SPA)- 7:58.35
  3. Daniel Wiffen (CAL)- 8:07.21
  4. Daniel Saborio Grillo (MEX)- 8:09.22
  5. Aiden Kirk (CAN)- 8:12.60
  6. Gabriel Manteufel (SAND)- 8:16.47
  7. Santi Alzate (MAC)- 8:18.23
  8. Lev Cherepanov (AZFL)- 8:18.55

Sam Short swam to a new Pro Series Record as he won the men’s 800 free in a 7:40.98 on Thursday evening. That broke his own Pro Series Record of a 7:45.02 that he swam at this meet a year ago. With his swim tonight, Short stays at the top of the World Rankings so far this season and leads by over five seconds now.

2025-2026 LCM Men 800 FREE

2Samuel
SHORT
AUS7:40.9803/05
3Sven
Schwarz
GER7:41.1404/24
4Lukas
MÄRTENS
GER7:41.3104/24
5Zhang
Zhanshuo
CHN7:44.4503/22
View Top 26»

Tonight’s swim marked the 3rd fastest of his career. His lifetime best stands at a 7:37.76 that he swam for silver at the 2023 World Championships. He also was faster at 2025 Australian Trials with a 7:40.95.

As seen below, the primary difference came on the front half of the race as he was out in a 3:47.94 at the 400 mark compared to a 3:51.76 a year ago.

Split Comparison

2026 Pro Series 2025 Pro Series
50 26.05 26.05 26.62 26.62
100 54.54 28.49 55.41 28.79
150 1:23.05 28.51 1:24.55 29.14
200 1:52.02 28.97 1:54.08 29.53
250 2:20.58 28.56 2:23.47 29.39
300 2:49.64 29.06 2:52.98 29.51
350 3:18.45 28.81 3:22.34 29.36
400 3:47.94 29.49 3:51.76 29.42
450 4:16.94 29 4:21.03 29.27
500 4:46.14 29.2 4:50.49 29.46
550 5:15.28 29.14 5:19.72 29.23
600 5:44.92 29.64 5:49.19 29.47
650 6:14.21 29.29 6:18.49 29.3
700 6:43.75 29.54 6:47.91 29.42
750 7:12.89 29.14 7:17.16 29.25
800 7:40.98 28.09 7:45.02 27.86

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enhanced games baby!!!!
2 months ago

I feel like a rested (and not ill) Short is the only one who could possibly get close to that 800 free WR at the moment. The only way someones gonna take it down is if you basically do what Märtens did to get the 400 free WR (going out like 3 seconds ahead and holding on). Fortunately that is his current swimming style

enhanced games baby!!!!
Reply to  enhanced games baby!!!!
2 months ago

Also, this is like the slowest Wiffen has gone since 2020. (excluding prelim swims at irish trials, yes they have those for some reason)

Last edited 2 months ago by enhanced games baby!!!!
Peter
2 months ago

Should have won several Olympic gold by now. When he does a meet healthy he will blow the world away.

Samboys
2 months ago

I’d love him to rock up to a random yards meet next weekend and drop a couple of crazy times before heading home. Just to see what he can do.

SHRKB8
Reply to  Samboys
2 months ago

He’s not heading home after this meet, he’s over there for a month swimming up in the clouds of Arizona after this meet, but I doubt he would seek out a yards official swim in this time.

Admin
Reply to  Samboys
2 months ago

OMG Please. Like the Western Indiana Snowmelt Classic or something.

snailSpace
Reply to  Samboys
2 months ago

I reckon he could break Leon’s 500 US Open record in this form, or get really close.

Andre
Reply to  snailSpace
2 months ago

I don’t think so because of his walls, they’re still a little meh… he’s really good on top of the water. In the 500, in this form, considering his walls, i would guess 4:04

Troyy
Reply to  Samboys
2 months ago

His walls aren’t good enough to do something crazy.

Carlos
2 months ago

Sam is flying 🚀

Sperl
2 months ago

Grant Hackett ahh swim

Captonic
2 months ago

Short went 4 seconds faster here than he did at Westmount last year.

Then he went 7:40.95 at trials “with not much rest” (paraphrase). If he is at a similar point in training as last year, we could see the fastest textile 800 free ever from him sometime this year.

He’d better not get sick or injured like he did the last two years.

mahmoud
Reply to  Captonic
2 months ago

He’s had such a rough few years with illness and injury that I hope this year he can go faster than he ever have. A 7.35 is not out of the question in the 800 for him

McIntosh-Marchand
Reply to  Captonic
2 months ago

It’s a shame he was ill in Paris and Singapore.

I always love the way he swims, very brave right from the start.

mahmoud
2 months ago

What a fast performance for this time of the year – only 3 seconds of his pb.

About Anya Pelshaw

Anya Pelshaw

Anya has been with SwimSwam since June 2021 as both a writer and social media coordinator. She was in attendance at the 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026 Women's NCAA Championships writing and doing social media for SwimSwam. She also attended 2023 US Summer Nationals as well as the 2024 …

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