Bobby Finke talks gold medals and Golden Goggles … and swimming in surgical gloves

2022 Golden Goggle Awards
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Bobby Finke made his first splash by reaching an Olympic Trials final in 2016 at age 16. Now with two Olympic gold medals and two world championships medals, the 23-year-old has taken the swimming world by storm. Earlier this week, Finke, a proud product of the University of Florida, took home multiple honors, including Male Athlete of the Year, at the Golden Goggles — the Oscars of U.S. swimming.

Finke reflected on his remarkable last two years, his experience in Tokyo, what he’s learned from teammate Katie Ledecky and much more below.

*This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

OlympicTalk: What do your Golden Goggles nominations — Male Race of the Year and Male Athlete of the Year — mean to you?

Bobby Finke: I think I read somewhere that if I win the Athlete of the Year award I would be the first distance swimmer on the men’s side to get it, so I’m really hoping that I can be honored and snag that award, especially for coach Anthony Nesty and the University of Florida. I’m up against some pretty incredible so it’s just an honor to even be a part of that list.

Editor’s note: Finke was right. He became the first distance swimmer to win Male Athlete of the Year.

For more highlights from the Olympians, Paralympians, and world champions on the Golden Goggles red carpet, see below!

You are a two-time Olympic gold medalist, a two-time world medalist and a pro athlete. If someone told you four years ago that this would be your life, would you believe it?

Finke: No. Four years ago I was just trying to make an Olympic team. I started the journey of trying to make an Olympic team when I was 16. That’s when I knew I first had a shot and started working towards the Tokyo Games. I wasn’t looking for a medal or anything. I was just trying to make an Olympic team, and then once I got on the team, I was just trying to make the finals. It’s been one step at a time.

How old were you when you first fell in love with swimming?

Finke: My whole family has been involved in swimming in one way or another. My mom, Jeanne, actually swam for Ball State and my dad, Joe — who didn’t know how to swim until he started dating my mom — is actually a swim coach now. I grew up racing my two older sisters, Autumn and Ariel, in the pool and would always ask them what their times were and would compare them to mine so I could figure out how to beat them. That’s all I cared about. Growing up with that competition around me really shaped how I swim my races and how I go into practice. Competing with people is what I love most about the sport.

Did you grow up watching the Olympics as a kid? What swimmers/athletes did you look up to?

Finke: The first Olympics I remember watching was in 2008 with Michael Phelps. He was someone I looked up to. I was 8 years old at the time. I was just cheering, but I didn’t truly realize the magnitude of what he accomplished. The swimmer I really idolized growing up was Robert Margalis. He had a tough journey, and I admired his determination. He was my main inspiration. I actually know his sister, Melanie, pretty well and would race with her whenever she came home from college for breaks.

Let’s fast forward to the Tokyo Games. Walk me through your experience.

Finke: I didn’t know what to expect going into the Games. There were no fans there, which I think affected other swimmers since they were used to having an atmosphere with a ton of people, but since it was my first Olympics I didn’t have anything to compare it to. So I felt like that gave me a bit of an edge. Overall, Tokyo was great. They put on a great Olympics, and the whole experience was incredible for me. I think I did pretty well, and I’m hoping that I get to make it another one.

You definitely did “pretty well.” To walk away with two gold medals at your first Olympics, winning them both in a very dramatic fashion, what was that like for you? Do you remember what you were thinking and feeling mid-race?

Finke: Coming back on the last 50 [meters], I’ve never really done that before. I’ve never had great closing speed in the 800m or 1500m. It kind of just happened. I knew the Europeans were really good at coming home, and I knew going into the last 50 I was behind them significantly, especially in the 800m. I felt confident going into the 1500m, but I had no idea what was going to happen in the 800m.

During the 800m, I just saw that I caught up a little bit. The last 50 felt like forever, and I was gradually trying to catch more and more of Mykhailo Romanchuk, who was next to me. Once I passed him, I could see across the whole field, and I realized Florian Wellbrock fell back, and then Gregorio Paltrinieri was right there with all of us. At that point, with just five meters left, I knew if I got out-touched I would not be OK with that, so I made sure I put every ounce of energy I had left into that race. I’m so happy that I did.

Swimming - Olympics: Day 9

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned from training with Katie Ledecky so far?

Finke: Confidence. She can go fast ALL. THE. TIME. It’s crazy. It’s something I want to be able to do, too, and Katie has told me that I just need to believe that I can get there. So that’s something I’m working on. I’m learning a lot from her, especially with seeing how she carries herself, the confidence she has in herself and her training and her work ethic.

Are you doing anything differently in terms of training to prepare for Paris?

Finke: We are just sticking to the formula that works. We add some things in here and there, but we’re not changing the foundation of our training. Nesty comes up with ideas all the time. The most recent one was swimming with surgical gloves on to remove the feel of the water. I think he came up with that idea when he was cutting chicken at home. The next day he came into practice, and he had us all swimming with gloves on with rubber bands around our wrists.

Switching gears, I’ve got some rapid-fire questions for you. Are you ready?

Finke: Yeah, let’s do it.

I know you’re a big Marvel guy. I’m going to name a couple of your U.S. teammates. Name which super hero they are most like and why.

Katie Ledecky.

Finke: Hmmm. I’m trying to think of the best one. There are two parts to this. Who is the strongest Avenger and who is the best one. I consider Thor to be the strongest Avenger so for Katie, I’ll say Thor.

Kieran Smith.

Finke: Iron Man. He’s got charisma, so I think Iron Man pairs well with him.

Ryan Murphy.

Finke: Hmmm. Ryan, Ryan, Ryan. I guess Captain America. Just the charisma and the way he carries himself and the team leadership Ryan has. He does a really great job at being the captain of our team.

Regan Smith.

Finke: Captain Marvel. She’s strong, incredible and funny.

Caeleb Dressel.

Finke: I’ll go with Thor again.

Which Avenger would you be?

Finke: I would say either Captain America or Thor, not because of my personality but just because those two are my favorites.

I know you don’t listen to music pre-race, so how do you get locked in? What do you think about? Any affirmations?

Finke: I kind of just sit and stare waiting for my name to be called.

If you could only listen to one artist for an entire workout, who would it be?

Finke: Queen or Elton John. I really enjoy music from the ’70s and ’80s.

What’s something you wish more people knew about being a swimmer?

Finke: We have really early wake-up calls and very long days. During the pandemic, I was getting up at like 3:50 a.m. for practice, but now I get up at 4:55 a.m. every day.

Finish this sentence: I’m not ready for a meet without …

Finke: The first thing that came to my mind is pizza. After every meet I always have pizza.

Your life is on the line. You need to sing one karaoke song to save it. What are you picking?

Finke: “Take me out to the Ball Game.” We had a karaoke machine growing up, and that was the only song I could do.

RELATED: Growth in Deep Waters – How U.S swimmer Natalie Hinds got her confidence back

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Ryan Crouser breaks world record in shot put at Los Angeles Grand Prix

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Two-time Olympic champion Ryan Crouser registered one of the greatest performances in track and field history, breaking his world record and throwing three of the six farthest shot puts of all time at the Los Angeles Grand Prix on Saturday.

Crouser unleashed throws of 23.56 meters, 23.31 and 23.23 at UCLA’s Drake Stadium. His previous world record from the Tokyo Olympic Trials was 23.37. He now owns the top four throws in history, and the 23.23 is tied for the fifth-best throw in history.

“The best thing is I’m still on high volume [training], heavy throws in the ring and heavy weights in the weight room, so we’re just starting to work in some speed,” the 6-foot-7 Crouser, who is perfecting a new technique coined the “Crouser slide,” told Lewis Johnson on NBC.

Sha’Carri Richardson won her 100m heat in 10.90 seconds into a slight headwind, then did not start the final about 90 minutes later due to cramping, Johnson said. Richardson is ranked No. 1 in the world in the 100m in 2023 (10.76) and No. 2 in the 200m (22.07).

Jamaican Ackeem Blake won the men’s 100m in a personal best 9.89 seconds. He now ranks third in the world this year behind Kenyan Ferdinand Omanyala and American Fred Kerley, who meet in the Diamond League in Rabat, Morocco on Sunday (2-4 p.m. ET, CNBC, NBCSports.com/live, the NBC Sports app and Peacock).

The next major meet is the USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships in early July, when the top three in most individual events qualify for August’s world championships.

Richardson will bid to make her first global championships team, two years after having her Olympic Trials win stripped for testing positive for marijuana and one year after being eliminated in the first round of the 100m at USATF Outdoors.

LA GRAND PRIX: Full Results

Also Saturday, Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico won the 100m hurdles in 12.31, the fastest time ever this early in a year. Nigerian Tobi Amusan, who at last July’s worlds lowered the world record to 12.12, was eighth in the eight-woman field in 12.69.

Maggie Ewen upset world champion Chase Ealey in the shot put by throwing 20.45 meters, upping her personal best by more than three feet. Ewen went from 12th-best in American history to third behind 2016 Olympic champion Michelle Carter and Ealey.

Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic ran the fastest women’s 400m since the Tokyo Olympics, clocking 48.98 seconds. Paulino is the Olympic and world silver medalist. Olympic and world champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo of the Bahamas is on a maternity break.

Rio Olympic bronze medalist Clayton Murphy won the 800m in 1:44.75, beating a field that included most of the top Americans in the event. Notably absent was 2019 World champion Donovan Brazier, who hasn’t raced since July 20 of last year amid foot problems.

CJ Allen won the 400m hurdles in a personal best 47.91, consolidating his argument as the second-best American in the event behind Olympic and world silver medalist Rai Benjamin, who withdrew from the meet earlier this week.

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Primoz Roglic set to win Giro d’Italia over Geraint Thomas

106th Giro d'Italia 2023 - Stage 20
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Primož Roglič all but secured the Giro d’Italia title on Saturday by overtaking leader Geraint Thomas on the penultimate stage despite having a mechanical problem on the mountain time trial.

Roglič started the stage 26 seconds behind Thomas — who was trying to become the oldest Giro champion in history — but finished the route 40 seconds quicker than the British cyclist after the demanding climb of the Monte Lussari.

That saw Roglič move into the leader’s pink jersey, 14 seconds ahead of Thomas going into the race’s mainly ceremonial final stage.

Roglič was cheered on all the way by thousands of fans from just across the border to his native Slovenia. They packed the slopes of the brutal ascent up Monte Lussari, which had an elevation of more than 3,000 feet and gradients of up to 22%.

The 33-year-old Roglič celebrated at the end with his wife and son, who was wearing a replica of the pink jersey.

“Just something amazing, eh? It’s not at the end about the win itself, but about the people, and the energy here, so incredible, really moments to live and to remember,” said Roglič, who had tears in his eyes during the post-stage television interview, which he did with his son in his arms.

It will be a fourth Grand Tour victory for Roglič, who won the Spanish Vuelta three years in a row from 2019-2021

Roglič also almost won the Tour de France in 2020, when he was leading going into another mountain time trial on the penultimate stage. But that time it was Roglič who lost time and the race to compatriot Tadej Pogačar in one of the most memorable upsets in a Grand Tour in recent years.

It appeared as if the Jumbo-Visma cyclist’s hopes were evaporating again when he rode over a pothole about halfway through the brutal climb up Monte Lussari and his chain came off, meaning he had to quickly change bicycles.

His teammates and staff had their hands over their heads in disbelief.

Despite that setback, Roglič — who had been 16 seconds ahead of Thomas at the previous intermediate time check — went on to increase his advantage.

“I dropped the chain, I mean it’s part of it,” he said. “But I got started again and I just went … I had the legs, the people gave me extra (energy).”

The 33-year-old Roglič won the stage ahead of Thomas. Joao Almeida was third, 42 seconds slower.

For Thomas, his bad luck at the Giro continued. In 2017, he was involved in a crash caused by a police motorbike, and three years later he fractured his hip after a drinks bottle became lodged under his wheel – being forced to abandon both times.

Thomas turned 37 on Thursday. The Ineos Grenadiers cyclist had seemed poised to become the oldest Giro winner in history — beating the record of Fiorenzo Magni, who was 34 when he won in 1955.

“I could feel my legs going about a kilometer and a half from the top. I just didn’t feel I had that real grunt,” Thomas said. “I guess it’s nice to lose by that much rather than a second or two, because that would be worse I think.

“At least he smashed me and to be honest Primoz deserves that. He had a mechanical as well, still put 40 seconds into me so chapeau to him. If you’d told me this back in (February), March, I would have bit your hand off but now I’m devastated.”

Thomas and Roglič exchanged fist bumps as they waited their turn to ride down the ramp at the start of the 11.6-mile time trial.

The Giro will finish in Rome on Sunday, with 10 laps of a seven-mile circuit through the streets of the capital, taking in many of its historic sites.

“One more day to go, one more focus, because I think the lap is quite hard, technical. So it’s not over til it’s finished,” Roglič said. “But looks good, voila.”

The route will pass by places such as the Altare della Patria, the Capitoline Hill, the Circus Maximus and finish at the Imperial Forums, in the shadow of the Colosseum.

The Tour de France starts July 1, airing on NBC Sports and Peacock.

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