Bobby Finke showed up at the arena for the 1500-meter freestyle, the last event. He was still reeling from the disappointment of only managing the silver in the 800m and fully aimed to get on the top of the podium. Within the first 300 metres, he sped ahead of everybody and kept it that way till the end of the race. His finish time of 14:30.67 would become a new world record, beating the previous one set by China’s Sun Yang of 14:31.02. Finke had not only put on a performance for the history books, he had kept the pride of his nation intact by saving the 120-year record of a male individual gold in the Olympics.

He was then invited by NFL legend Shannon Sharpe to his podcast to discuss his performance. As the episode came to a close, he pleasantly surprised Finke with a reward. He started by saying that he, his subscribers, and the whole nation were very proud of his performance in Paris. Then, he went on saying that he wanted to show him how proud he was and then held up a cheque and showed it to the camera. The amount was $50,000. This incredibly moved Finke, as his face was lit with delight and he thanked him several times. Sharpe’s co-host Chad Johnson, jokingly suggested that he’ll have to race him to get that cheque. He said, “In order to get that when you’re in Florida, we’ll have to race.” Finke, who was still beaming with delight, said that he’ll do whatever they want. It was a great sight to witness, as the American swimmer deserves all the love and adoration for his performance.

Shannon Sharpe’s promise to Noah Lyles and Sha’Carri Richardson

Before the Olympics started, Shannon Sharpe promised that if Noah Lyles and Sha’Carri Richardson won the gold medal, he would pay them $25,000 each. Both of them did manage to win the gold, Lyles in the 100m race and Richardson in the relay. Not sure if Sharpe has contacted them till now. He was also disappointed about the amount of $37,500 that athletes get after winning a gold medal.

He promised $50,000 to any American athlete who would win the gold and break a world record while doing so. That’s how Bobby Finke managed to bag that amount. It was a great initiative, which motivated athletes to work harder. Looking at Finke, it most definitely worked, as he saved the record.

The US Male Swimmer 120 year long Record saved by Bobby Finke

In the past, the USA swimming team has had some of the greatest male swimmers we have ever witnessed. Michael Phelps, Mark Spitz and Ryan Lochte are a few names on the top of our heads. They have always been dominant at the Olympics. However, this year their performance wasn’t up to the mark in at least the individual races. So much so, it threatened a long-standing record they had had since 1904, which was the only third edition of the Olympics. It was the first one where gold, silver and bronze medals were awarded.

Since then, the male swimmers of the USA have won an individual gold medal in every single Olympics. This is one of the most impressive and longest withstanding records in swimming history. But it was in heavy danger in Paris as the men were struggling to find victory in the competitions. 13 out of 14 individual competitions passed and there was no sign of the gold medal. The record seemed not only in danger, but possibly over. But Bobby Finke winning the gold medal saved it. Thus, he kept the pride of his nation intact.