Sam Short Breaks Pro Swim Series Record in 800 Free, Takes Over #1 Time This Season

2025 PRO SWIM SERIES — WESTMONT

• Westmont, IL — FMC Natatorium
• March 5-8, 2025
• LCM (50 Meters)
• Meet Central
• SwimSwam Event Page
• Start Times: prelims –  9:00 am CT/ finals – 6:00 pm CT
  • Weds. Timed Finals: 5:00 pm CT
• How to Watch
• Pre-Scratch Psych Sheet (updated 3/3)
• Live Results or through MeetMobile “2025 TYR Pro Swim Series – Westmont”
• Prelims Live Recap: Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4
• Finals Live Recap: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4

Sam Short broke the Pro Swim Series record in the 800 free on the final night of the 2025 Pro Swim Series – Westmont (7:45.02). The previous record was set by Ahmed Hafnaoui in 2023.

With that swim, Short took over the #1 time in the season so far, surpassing 2024 Olympic champion Daniel Wiffen‘s time (7:52.52) from the BUCS Long Course Championships back in February. Short is the first man to dip under 7:50 in the 2024-25 season. He almost led the race from start to finish sans the first 50; Brazil’s Guilherme Costa flipped slightly ahead (26.55) of Short (26.62). Short continued to build his lead throughout the race, eventually finishing over 10 seconds ahead of Costa.

This is Short’s first return to racing since the 2024 Olympic Games, where he finished 9th in the 800 free despite coming in as the top seed. He also missed out on individual medals in the 400 and 1500 free. He then took a couple of months off to rehab his shoulder. He won the 400 free earlier this meet, which also stands as the #1 time in the season so far (3:44.83).

Originally reported by Madeline Folsom.

MEN’S 800 Freestyle — Finals

• World Record: 7:32.12 — Lin Zhang, China (2009)
• World Jr. Record : 7:43.37 — Lorenzo Galossi, Italy (2022)
• American: 7:38.67 — Bobby Finke, United States (2023)
• U.S. Open: 7:40.34 — Bobby Finke, United States (2023)
• Pro Swim: 7:48.50 — Ahmed Ayoub Hafnaoui, Tunisia (2023)

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Samuel Short (AUS)- 7:45.02 **New Pro Swim Record**
2. Guilherme Costa (SESC)- 7:56.45
3. Ryan Erisman (LAKR)- 7:58.97
4. Luka Mijatovic (PLS)- 7:59.09
5. Alec Enyeart (TST)- 8:03.64
6. Stephan de Freitas Steverink (FRJ)- 8:04.35
7. Ilia Sibirtsev (UZB)- 8:09.66
8. Sean Atkinson (UN)- 8:12.73

Sam Short finished his first meet back after the Olympics with a bang, setting a new Pro Swim Series record in the men’s 800 freestyle. His final time of 7:45.02 was more than three seconds under Ahmed Hafnaoui’s record of 7:48.50 from 2023. It was also more than a second-and-a-half faster than the 7:46.83 he went at last summer’s Olympic Games where he went 7:46.83 to finish one spot out of the final at 9th.

Short got out fast and stayed there, finishing more than 11 seconds ahead of 2nd place finisher Guilherme Costa’s 7:56.45 in 2nd. This time was also about 11 seconds off Costa’s best time of 7:45.48 which he went in June of 2022.

Ryan Erisman finished 3rd from the early heats, swimming 7:58.97 for a new best time by almost three seconds. This was also his first time under 8:00 in the event, improving from the 8:01.65 he went in July 2024

16th place finisher Jon Joentvedt went for a 400 split, coming in at 3:53.91 in his first 400. He did not swim the event this week.