After Ahmed Hafnaoui’s departure, many thought Robert ‘Bobby’ Finke would go unchallenged in the US Open Swimming Championship this season. Hafnaoui forced Bobby Finke to get the runner-up medal in the 1500 m freestyle event at the World Swimming Championship 2023. After the event, Hafnaoui claimed to a media agency, “Bobby is so fast in the end of the race, he just pushed us”. That accolade seemed not to go unheard of. 

In the ongoing US Open Swimming Championship 2023, Bobby Finke saw his defeat in his trademark 800m free event for Charlie Clark and David Johnston. Soon Bobby gathered himself and went to the Greensboro arena to earn victory. 

Bobby Finke’s win in the 2023 US Open Swimming Championship 

Robert ‘Bobby’ Finke roared in style in the US Open Swimming Championship. After facing disqualification in the 400 m IM, the swimming icon left his opponents in his wake in the 1500m freestyle event of the 2023 US Open Swimming Championship. As per the tweet of Swim coverage, he took 15:03.97 to earn the first spot in the 1500m roster. The tweet read, “2023 Toyota US Open Men’s 1500m Freestyle Fastest Heats…”

However, the event didn’t go without a challenge. In the same event, Bobby Finke had to face the budding swimmer, Charlie Clark. Charlie Clark had already defeated Bobby in the 2023 US Open Swimming Championship before. That day the suddenness took the Olympic medalist by surprise. But this time, Bobby Finke tried a different approach in the pool. 

A different approach this time 

In the 850m free, Charlie Clark took a blinder to go past Bobby Finke’s challenge in the Greensboro arena. This time, Canadian Open Water champion Eric Brown posed a double-pronged attack on Bobby’s title-earning chances. However, from the pack of participants, only Luke Whitlock posed a threat to Bobby Finke to 650 m of the event. But Bobby Finke’s dominance from the 700m lap of the race made a gold title inevitable. 

Read more: Bobby Finke Sets US Open Record in 800m Freestyle; Will Compete in Two Events at Upcoming World Championships

However, Charlie Clark tried his best in the event. But the challenge from him never felt consistent in the manner. Starting from the fifth lane, the young swimmer took a long time to reach 1400m from 1350m. That appeared to be a major difference between the two contesting swimmers. Finally, Charlie Clark paced 2 seconds slower than Robert Finke in the final time. Eric Brown saw himself down to the fifth position. This win might come as a rejoinder to Bobby Finke’s critics after his disqualification in the 400m IM in the same championship. 

Watch this story: Michael Phelps Throws A Playful Jab At Big Papi With A Swimming Challenge:” How Much Of A Head Start…”