2025 U.S. NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
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USA Swimming has confirmed to SwimSwam that Bobby Finke has officially dropped the 400 IM from his schedule for the 2025 World Championships, despite winning the U.S. national title with a lifetime best of 4:07.46 on Thursday.
The Florida Gator’s decision almost certainly stems from a significant scheduling conflict in Singapore. The men’s 1500 freestyle final, where Finke is the world record holder and two-time Olympic champion, is slated for 19:29 on the final night of competition. The 400 IM final is scheduled just 27 minutes later at 19:56, and with the 1500 taking over 14 minutes, he would have only about 10 minutes of rest between races, with just a medal ceremony in between. Rather than attempt the difficult double, he will focus on claiming his first-ever world title in the event.
World Championships Day 8 Schedule:
With Finke dropping out, Carson Foster becomes the top priority selection for the 400 IM, while Rex Maurer moves into the second qualifying spot. Maurer had a breakthrough performance in the final, dropping 3.52 seconds to clock 4:09.65 and rise to 23rd on the all-time performers list. The rising Longhorn junior, who transferred to Texas after spending his freshman year at Stanford, is having a standout meet, with a third-place finish in the 200 freestyle (1:45.13) and a win in the 400 freestyle (3:43.33), setting a new U.S. Open record.
Finke’s decision comes after one of the best swims of his career. He took down Foster in the closing stretch of the 400 IM, splitting 56.19 over the final 100 meters and 27.44 on the last 50. That effort lowered his previous best of 4:09.55 from 2023 by more than two seconds and gave him the national title by nearly half a second.
His time ranks him second in the world this year behind Leon Marchand’s 4:07.11 from May. Finke beat Marchand head-to-head earlier this season at the Fort Lauderdale Pro Swim Series. The swim also moved Finke to 10th on the all-time performers list in the event, just ahead of Hungary’s David Verraszto. He is now the sixth-fastest American in history, and his performance stands as the 25th-fastest ever recorded.
All-Time Top 10 Performers, Men’s 400 IM:
- 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 (JPN), 2016 – 4:06.05
- Daiya Seto (JPN), 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*
Finke has steadily improved his 400 IM time throughout most of his career, with the exception of 2024, when he didn’t swim the event at a taper meet, focusing on the 400 freestyle instead. The three-time Olympic gold medalist’s previous best stood at 4:09.55 before his newly minted performance this week.
Finke’s 400 IM Progression By Year:
- 2016: 4:21.04 – Junior Pan Pacific Championships
- 2017: 4:27.00 – Arena Pro Swim Series – Atlanta
- 2018: 4:15.79 – Phillips 66 Summer National Championships
- 2019: 4:13.15 – Phillips 66 Summer National Championships
- 2020: 4:18.08 – Toyota US Open
- 2021: 4:11.44 – USA Olympic Team Trials – Wave 2
- 2022: 4:10.57 – Phillips 66 International Team Trials
- 2023: 4:09.55 – Phillips 66 USA National Championships
- 2024: 4:14.44 – GA SA Atlanta Classic
- 2025: 4:07.46 — U.S. National Championships
Because he’s not leon, he doesn’t have the privilege of changing the schedule
American Breastroke Future
Broke: Campbell McKean
Woke: Bobby Finke
I bet NBC can get this schedule changed for the Olympics. Bobby brings fans to distance swimming, his last name has even become a verb in the swimming zeitgeist, and he’s a good-looking guy, which counts for more than anyone in USA Swimming would like to admit when it comes to getting swimmers attention, endorsements, and eyes on the screens.
America’s Golden Boy vs. The Pride of France? Come on, that’s must see TV.
The beauty of Pan Pacs is that you can enter whatever you want but only top 2 from each country out of prelims will make the A final, so I hope he swims some off events. 400 IM, 200 back, 200 fly could be really… Read more »
They don’t conflict at the Olympics although the event order is just stupid for distance dudes.
Day 1 4Fr
Day 2 4IM
Day 3&4 800
Day 8&9 1500
It makes no sense
My schedule…
Day 1&2 800
Day 4&5 4IM
Danny 6&7 4Fr
Day 8&9 1500
All with finals the day after prelims.
And I think the 50s should go prelims then semi final of 3 heats to start finals that night with 8 racing for the medals at the end of the same session.
The 100s would go prelims and semis on one day with final the next like they do now
The 200s would go prelim & final on one day with no semi.
time to show Wiffen Greg Short and the like that last year wasn’t a fluke.
He was the defending Olympic champion when he won the 1500 again last year, and did it the same way, so it definitely wasn’t a fluke.
He win 2024 in a completely different day then 2021. He led every split in 2024 and I think I’m 2021 the only split he was leading was the finish.
So many good events that he has to pick and choose. Prob the second best male swimmer in the world rn with the potential of taking the mantle from Leon if he has a better summer
Huge Finke fan personally and I agree with the 2nd place you’re giving him but the gap between 1st and 2nd is larger than 2nd-5th.
The people need a tapered time trial
No one would show up. Nobody is ever tapered.
In 400IM, he’s just a medal contender, but in 1500Fr, he’s a killer 😮💨
For me… 400IM is the competition for the ‘best overall swimmer in the world’ (again… for me)
For his legacy, I think it would be great to through in a few international meet 400IM medals to solidify just how great of an all-around swimmer he is!
BOOOOOOOOOOOO!