2025 U.S. NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Tuesday, June 3 – Saturday, June 7, 2025
- Indianapolis, Indiana
- Indiana University Natatorium
- LCM (50 meters)
- World Championship Selection Criteria
- SwimSwam Preview Index
- Meet Central
- Psych Sheets (Updated 6/02)
- Live Results
- How To Watch (USA Swimming Network)
- Prelims Live Recap: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3
- Finals Live Recap: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3
MEN’S 400 IM – Final
- World Record: 4:02.50 – Leon Marchand, France (2023)
- American Record: 4:03.84 – Michael Phelps (2008)
- U.S. Open Record: 4:05.25 – Michael Phelps, United States (2008)
- 2024 Olympic Trials Winner: Carson Foster – 4:07.64
- World Aquatics ‘A’ Cut: 4:17.48
Final:
- Bobby Finke (SPA) — 4:07.46
- Carson Foster (UN) — 4:07.92
- Rex Maurer (TXLA) — 4:09.65
- Baylor Nelson (TXLA) — 4:16.54
- Luka Mijatovic (PLS) — 4:16.75
- Mason Laur (FLOR) — 4:17.21
- Tommy Bried (UOFL) — 4:17.52
- Mitchell Schott (PRIN) — 4:21.55
Bobby Finke knocked over two seconds off his best time in the 400 IM, as he won his second national title in the event in 4:07.46 on Day 3 here in Indianapolis. He now ranks 2nd in the world this year behind Leon Marchand‘s 4:07.11 from mid-May, but did beat the French star in their head-to-head at the Fort Lauderdale Pro Swim Series.
2024-2025 LCM Men 400 IM
MARCHAND
4:07.11
| 2 | Bobby FINKE | USA | 4:07.46 | 06/05 |
| 3 | Carson Foster | USA | 4:07.92 | 06/06 |
| 4 | TOMOYUKI MATSUSHITA | JPN | 4:08.61 | 03/20 |
| 5 | ASAKI NISHIKAWA | JPN | 4:09.63 | 03/20 |
| 6 | Rex MAURER | USA | 4:09.65 | 06/05 |
He did tonight what we have seen him do so many times in the distance freestyle events, running down Foster with a stunning final 50 of 27.44. Finke’s final 100 was 56.19, nearly a full second faster than the 56.91 he closed in when setting his previous PB of 4:09.55 back in 2023 and 1.58 seconds quicker than Foster.
He launches himself up to 10th all-time, a hundredth ahead of David Verraszto, and is the 6th-fastest American on that list. His swim tonight was also the 25th fastest performance of all time.
All-Time Performers, Men’s 400 IM (LCM)
- Leon Marchand (FRA), 2023 – 4:02.50
- Michael Phelps (USA), 2008 – 4:03.84
- Ryan Lochte (USA), 2012 – 4:05.18
- Chase Kalisz (USA), 2017 – 4:05.90
- Kosuke Hagino (JAP), 2016 – 4:06.05
- Daiya Seto (JAP), 2020 – 4:06.09
- Laszlo Cseh (HUN), 2008 – 4:06.16
- Carson Foster (USA), 2022/2023 – 4:06.56
- Tyler Clary (USA), 2009 – 4:06.96
- Bobby Finke (USA), 2025 – 4:07.46*
This is not the first time he has run down Foster in the 400 IM. Finke’s first National Championships win back in 2019 came after outsplitting him 57.39-59.42 on the final 100, and at the 2021 NCAA Championships he did the same, out-splitting Foster over the final 50 yards by over two seconds. Whilst the gap was not as large this time around, Finke ran out the winner by nearly half a second, as Foster took second in 4:07.92.
| Finke Tonight | Foster Tonight | Finke Previous PB – U.S. Nationals 2023 | |
| Butterfly | 56.28 | 55.67 | 56.86 |
| Backstroke | 1:02.62 | 1:03.41 | 1:02.89 |
| Breaststroke | 1:12.37 | 1:11.07 | 1:12.89 |
| Freestyle | 56.19 | 57.77 | 56.91 |
| Total | 4:07.46 | 4:07.92 | 4:09.55 |
However, with the finals of this event coinciding with the 1500 freestyle final at Worlds this summer the chance of Finke taking up his spot in the event is almost zero.
He stated back at the Fort Lauderdale Pro Swim Series that he would not swim the event in Singapore if he finished in the top two here, and when asked about his plans for this event after leaving the pool, Finke said:
“(We) will need to talk to the coaches about it, but kinda have a plan in mind.”
That may leave the door ajar to swimming possibly the toughest double you could comprehend, one compounded by being on the final night of the World Championships.
If he declines the spot, the swimmer who will take his place will be Carson Foster‘s Texas teammate Rex Maurer, who sliced 3.52 seconds from his best to go 4:09.65 and launch himself into the top 25 all-time at #23. That continues a great meet for the Longhorn, and makes it two 3rd-place finishes in a row after he took the bronze in the 200 free in 1:45.13 last night.
If the 400 IM goes after the 1500 I hope he does it on worlds, everyone is afraid of his last 100 and he should capitalize on that edge.
Carson folds like a lawn chair everytime he is up against him.
I dont know how much faster he can go in the IM, but he went 14:48 at the same meet… ya have to wonder if he could get under 4:05, give Leon a run for his money (i mean , if the race is in 4:03/4:04 territory)
Foster’s 4:07 is impressive give his coaching change a few months ago.
He should concentrate on the 1500 in Singapore. It is the only single event where american men are the favourite.
This latest swim by Finke and this article should come as no surprise to fans that have followed his career.. for those that do, you’d know for years now that this is an event he should take seriously in his competition schedule. Eddie Reese said it perfectly in an interview a few years ago that’s still on YouTube – if you look at the world class 400 IMers over the years they have two things in common, they’re either dominant distance freestylers or dominant in the 200 breast.. now before you say “well what about Phelps” – remember that Phelps was dominant in everything and focused more on the distance events before specializing in multiple strokes. He broke the 400… Read more »
Bobby has to swim it! better in singapore than later on. 😭
“… if you look at the world class 400 IMers over the years they have two things in common, they’re either dominant distance freestylers or dominant in the 200 breast…”
I can think of quite a few world class 400 IMers NOT meeting that critera: Yana Klochkova, Kosuke Hagino, Stephanie Rice, Kirsty Coventry, Laszlo Cseh, Ryan Lochte (the fact that he swam 1650 in a few dual meets doesn’t make him a dominant distance freestyler), Alex Baumann, Gary Hall sr, Ilya Borodin, Summer Sanders, Krisztina Egerszegi, Michael Phelps (he was a mid-distance swimmer, not a dominant distance freestyler), Tamas Darnyi, Jani Sievinen, Carson Foster, Chase Kalisz, Dave Wharton, Ricardo Prado, Jesse Vassallo, Tyler Clary…
” if you look at the world class 400 IMers over the years they have two things in common, they’re either dominant distance freestylers or dominant in the 200 breast”
The simple fact that the AR holder in w400IM (Elizabeth Beisel) is neither proved your theory is shot
The simple fact that the second fastest and third fastest ever in w400 IM (Hosszu and McKeown) are neither proved your theory is shot
The w400 WR holder, Summer McIntosh, is not dominant in 200 breast, it’s also arguable she is dominant freestyler (she’s a dominant mid-d)
it’s actually hoff who holds the AR, not beisel. and hoff was a distance freestyler
I would absolutely love to see Finke swim both the 400 IM and the 1500 at Worlds. It would be another mountain for others to try to climb.
No shame on Foster. 4:07 is really fast. Bobby Finke is an absolute beast tho.
Foster has him beat in 2022/2023. Long game my friend!
Bobby Finke casually beat Carson Foster in Foster’s best event.
casually? they were fighting to the end
Bro, it’s so casual for him that he literally wasn’t even swimming for a selection spot. And he’s clearly top very tapered (see his 14:48 1500). And he beat Carson straight up.
Not casual in effort, casual in context
Heh. Yes. Dude came home :56.2 — he was trying
Misunderstanding on my end. Sometimes I’m just zooming through comments
What I meant is, Bobby Finke does not even swim 400 IM internationally, it’s a side quest for him.
It’s like Summer McIntosh swimming 800 free or Kaylee McKeown swimming 400 IM.
Its his third best event bro… its like summer doing the 400 free and leon doing the 2 IM.