Bobby Finke broke the men's 1,500-meter freestyle world record at the Paris Olympics, finishing in 14 minutes 30.67 seconds, which secured him the gold medal and continued the U.S. tradition of having at least one male individual gold medalist in swimming since 1904. Finke's record-setting performance also marked the end of a 12-year reign by China's Sun Yang, whose previous record was 14:31.02. Italy's Gregorio Paltrinieri claimed silver, while Ireland's Daniel Wiffen took bronze, making Wiffen the first Irish male swimmer to win multiple medals at the Games in nearly three decades. In addition, the U.S. women's team set a world record in the 4x100-meter relay with a time of 3:49.62, while the men's team lost their long-standing dominance in the 4x100 medley relay to China, ending a 64-year unbeaten streak. Overall, American swimmers achieved 28 podium finishes but only secured eight golds, a decline from their past performances in the Olympics. Finke's triumph adds to his earlier success in Tokyo, solidifying his position in the annals of distance swimming.