Bobby Finke on Training w/ Ledecky “You just have to expect to lose sometimes”

2021 US OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS

Reported by Emma Edmund.

MEN’S 400 FREE FINAL

  • World: Paul Biedermann (2009)
  • American: 3:42.78, Larsen Jensen (2008)
  • US Open Meet: 3:45.63, Zane Grothe (2016)

Trey Freeman, who was top seed going into the event, and Hoe Yean Khiew, the Malaysian champion in the 400 free, both led the event neck-and-neck at the halfway point. But it was Freeman who took the win, swimming 3:49.06 to best Khiew’s 3:50.52.

Bobby Finke is known for his closing speed, but it wasn’t enough to get him to catch up. His 27-second last 50 allowed him to pass Charlie Clark to take third at 3:51.44.

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Taa
2 years ago

I’m a lot more worried about his shoulder than whether he swims slower than Ledecky in practice. He admitted he has been out of pool resting his shoulder for the last month and a half.

James
2 years ago

Seems like people need to chill on this statement. Everyone is well aware that there might be some slight hyperbole when Finke says he “loses” to Ledecky in practice, but I’m certain she keeps people honest as there are admittedly few women swimming at a level so close to elite male times.

Swimm
2 years ago

For as great as Ledecky is, I don’t see any reason why Finke would lose to her in practice under any circumstances. Not a knock on Ledecky in the slightest, but it just seems like they are in 2 different worlds when you compare their best times.

Unknown Swammer
Reply to  Swimm
2 years ago

People get broken down and tired differently – I’ve seen phenomenal swimmers have very rough days of practice. Finke having a rough day and Ledecky having a good day – I could easily see this happening…not often, but not surprised to hear him say it does happen.

Marklewis
Reply to  Coleman Hodges
2 years ago

Katie Ledecky should be faster in meets if she is doing sets like this.

She either overtrains or has bad tapers or both.

Maybe her new coach can give her a bigger bounce out of her taper.

Ferb
Reply to  Marklewis
2 years ago

Some people are just able to train closer to 100% of race pace.

Kaf
Reply to  Swimm
2 years ago

I can absolutely keep up with people with best times a similar amount better than me. In my experience men tend to practice significantly slower for a best time. Anecdotal obviously, but it’s not like Finke is breaking new ground here. All sorts of people on the men’s national team have said the same.

coachymccoachface
Reply to  Swimm
2 years ago

I’ve always thought girls could swim faster in practice because they have less muscle mass but that’s probably just bs I made up when I was losing to girls

Mediocre Swammer
Reply to  Swimm
2 years ago

I don’t know about the differences in swimming, but in weightlifting, women can do two things better than men (generally speaking, of course): They can do repeat reps at a larger percentage of their 1-rep max weight, and they can turn around and repeat a workout with less rest. (In the case of weightlifting, I think it was talking about something like 2 days rest, but….)

If that transfers to swimming, that possibly means that Katie could repeat swims at closer to her best time and continue it for longer.

The guys she swam with before said something similar, didn’t they? How she could just keep going and going at the same speed, or faster, and eventually they were having… Read more »

There's no doubt that he's tightening up
Reply to  Coleman Hodges
2 years ago

She’s supposed to be the franchise player and we’re talking about practice. Not a race, not the race I go out there and die for like it’s my last.

Old Bruin
Reply to  Coleman Hodges
2 years ago

Aaaaaaaaand cue Allan Iverson! 😂

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eGDBR2L5kzI

Ooop
Reply to  Swimm
2 years ago

In college teams where men and women train together, a lot of girls lead lanes full of men. Especially on kick sets, ladies can be really fast.

Genevieve LeQueen
2 years ago

love to hear that, lmao

Fleur
2 years ago

Katie bringing feminism to the pool

Anonymoose
Reply to  Fleur
2 years ago

as in beating men? is that feminism by your definintion?

Anonymous
2 years ago

No shave or taper …. wowsers!!!

ClubCoach
Reply to  Anonymous
2 years ago

And no rest

PFA
2 years ago

NGL swimming at florida sounds like a very humbling experience

Ledecky will go 3:55 in Paris
2 years ago

At least he’s not whining about it like Dwyer did

Big Mac #1
Reply to  Ledecky will go 3:55 in Paris
2 years ago

And then taking some testosterone to try and feel like a man again /j

About Coleman Hodges

Coleman Hodges

Coleman started his journey in the water at age 1, and although he actually has no memory of that, something must have stuck. A Missouri native, he joined the Columbia Swim Club at age 9, where he is still remembered for his stylish dragon swim trunks. After giving up on …

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