Bobby Finke (USA) and Gregorio Paltrinieri (ITA) had won gold in this event in 2020 and 2016 and were still the favorites, along with Ireland’s Daniel Wiffen, who had won the 800 freestyle five days before this final.
Finke is known for his fast finishes, but in the final he took the lead on the first lap and never relinquished it. Splitting ahead of world record pace throughout, he finished in 14:30.67 to break the world record of 14:31.02 set by China’s Sun Yang in winning the 2012 Olympic gold.
Finke held throughout, as Paltrinieri was second at every checkpoint and took the silver medal, almost four seconds behind Finke. Wiffen likewise moved into third at 300 metres and held that position to the finish for the bronze medal. Fifth place went to Türkiye’s 16-year-old Kuzey Tunçelli, who was second for 300 metres and finished in a world junior record of 14:41.22.
Finke became the fourth swimmer to defend the 1,500 freestyle gold medal, after American Mike Burton in 1968-1972, and Australians Kieren Perkins in 1992-1996 and Grant Hackett in 2000-2004. Soviet swimmer Vladimir Salnikov also won the event twice, in 1980 and 1988.
| Pos | Lane | Competitor | NOC | Time | Reaction Time | 100 m Time (Rank) | 200 m Time (Rank) | 300 m Time (Rank) | 400 m Time (Rank) | 500 m Time (Rank) | 600 m Time (Rank) | 700 m Time (Rank) | 800 m Time (Rank) | 900 m Time (Rank) | 1,000 m Time (Rank) | 1,100 m Time (Rank) | 1,200 m Time (Rank) | 1,300 m Time (Rank) | 1,400 m Time (Rank) | 100-200 m Time (Rank) / 200-300 m Time (Rank) | 300-400 m Time (Rank) / 400-500 m Time (Rank) | 500-600 m Time (Rank) / 600-700 m Time (Rank) | 700-800 m Time (Rank) / 800-900 m Time (Rank) | 900-1,000 m Time (Rank) / 1,000-1,100 m Time (Rank) | 1,100-1,200 m Time (Rank) / 1,200-1,300 m Time (Rank) | 1,300-1,400 m Time (Rank) / 1,400-1,500 m Time (Rank) | | |
|---|
| 1 | – | Dimitrios Markos | GRE | 15:11.19 | 0.72 | 56.87 (1) | 1:57.14 (1) | 2:57.44 (1) | 3:57.86 (1) | 4:58.01 (1) | 5:58.54 (1) | 6:59.13 (1) | 7:59.66 (1) | 9:00.71 (1) | 10:01.82 (1) | 11:03.62 (1) | 12:05.54 (1) | 13:08.39 (1) | 14:10.91 (1) | 1:00.27 (1) / 1:00.30 (1) | 1:00.42 (1) / 1:00.15 (1) | 58.50 (1) / 1:00.59 (1) | 1:00.53 (1) / 1:01.05 (1) | 1:01.11 (1) / 1:01.80 (1) | 1:01.92 (1) / 1:02.85 (2) | 1:02.52 (1) / 1:00.28 (1) | | |
| 2 | – | Nguyễn Huy Hoàng | VIE | 15:18.63 | 0.71 | 57.78 (2) | 1:58.33 (2) | 2:58.83 (2) | 3:59.55 (2) | 5:00.42 (2) | 6:01.51 (2) | 7:02.97 (2) | 8:05.18 (2) | 9:07.00 (2) | 10:08.79 (2) | 11:11.04 (2) | 12:13.63 (2) | 13:15.71 (2) | 14:18.27 (2) | 1:00.55 (2) / 1:00.50 (2) | 1:00.72 (2) / 1:00.87 (2) | 1:00.53 (2) / 1:01.46 (2) | 1:02.21 (2) / 1:01.82 (2) | 1:01.79 (2) / 1:02.25 (2) | 1:02.59 (2) / 1:02.08 (1) | 1:02.56 (2) / 1:00.36 (2) | | |
| 3 | – | Rodolfo Falcon, Jr | CUB | 16:00.31 | 0.67 | 59.12 (3) | 2:01.70 (3) | 3:05.14 (3) | 4:08.98 (3) | 5:13.04 (3) | 6:16.93 (3) | 7:21.32 (3) | 8:25.80 (3) | 9:30.09 (3) | 10:34.68 (3) | 11:39.30 (3) | 12:44.42 (3) | 13:50.02 (3) | 14:55.93 (3) | 1:02.58 (3) / 1:03.44 (3) | 1:03.84 (3) / 1:04.06 (3) | 1:01.09 (3) / 1:04.39 (3) | 1:04.48 (3) / 1:04.29 (3) | 1:04.59 (3) / 1:04.62 (3) | 1:05.12 (3) / 1:05.60 (3) | 1:05.91 (3) / 1:04.38 (3) | | |
| Pos | Lane | Competitor | NOC | Time | Reaction Time | 100 m Time (Rank) | 200 m Time (Rank) | 300 m Time (Rank) | 400 m Time (Rank) | 500 m Time (Rank) | 600 m Time (Rank) | 700 m Time (Rank) | 800 m Time (Rank) | 900 m Time (Rank) | 1,000 m Time (Rank) | 1,100 m Time (Rank) | 1,200 m Time (Rank) | 1,300 m Time (Rank) | 1,400 m Time (Rank) | 100-200 m Time (Rank) / 200-300 m Time (Rank) | 300-400 m Time (Rank) / 400-500 m Time (Rank) | 500-600 m Time (Rank) / 600-700 m Time (Rank) | 700-800 m Time (Rank) / 800-900 m Time (Rank) | 900-1,000 m Time (Rank) / 1,000-1,100 m Time (Rank) | 1,100-1,200 m Time (Rank) / 1,200-1,300 m Time (Rank) | 1,300-1,400 m Time (Rank) / 1,400-1,500 m Time (Rank) | | |
|---|
| 1 | – | Kuzey Tunçelli | TUR | 14:45.27 | 0.72 | 56.11 (2) | 1:55.08 (1) | 2:54.20 (1) | 3:53.14 (1) | 4:52.52 (1) | 5:51.49 (1) | 6:50.59 (1) | 7:49.92 (1) | 8:49.70 (1) | 9:49.06 (1) | 10:48.52 (1) | 11:48.17 (1) | 12:47.72 (1) | 13:47.42 (1) | 58.97 (1) / 59.12 (1) | 58.94 (1) / 59.38 (1) | 1:03.89 (1) / 59.10 (1) | 59.33 (1) / 59.78 (1) | 59.36 (1) / 59.46 (1) | 59.65 (1) / 59.55 (1) | 59.70 (1) / 57.85 (1) | Q | |
| 2 | – | Krzysztof Chmielewski | POL | 15:04.99 | 0.63 | 56.07 (1) | 1:55.30 (2) | 2:54.93 (2) | 3:54.59 (2) | 4:54.57 (2) | 5:54.84 (2) | 6:55.55 (2) | 7:56.70 (2) | 8:58.12 (2) | 9:59.34 (2) | 11:00.61 (2) | 12:01.77 (2) | 13:03.24 (2) | 14:04.73 (2) | 59.23 (2) / 59.63 (2) | 59.66 (2) / 59.98 (2) | 1:01.74 (2) / 1:00.71 (2) | 1:01.15 (4) / 1:01.42 (3) | 1:01.22 (4) / 1:01.27 (3) | 1:01.16 (3) / 1:01.47 (3) | 1:01.49 (3) / 1:00.26 (4) | | |
| 3 | – | Victor Johansson | SWE | 15:05.62 | 0.68 | 58.19 (6) | 1:58.42 (5) | 2:59.07 (5) | 4:00.34 (4) | 5:01.56 (4) | 6:02.11 (4) | 7:02.95 (4) | 8:03.51 (4) | 9:04.00 (4) | 10:04.70 (4) | 11:05.71 (3) | 12:06.40 (3) | 13:07.12 (3) | 14:07.32 (3) | 1:00.23 (4) / 1:00.65 (4) | 1:01.27 (5) / 1:01.22 (4) | 58.97 (3) / 1:00.84 (4) | 1:00.56 (2) / 1:00.49 (2) | 1:00.70 (2) / 1:01.01 (2) | 1:00.69 (2) / 1:00.72 (2) | 1:00.20 (2) / 58.30 (2) | | |
| 4 | – | Henrik Christiansen | NOR | 15:14.11 | 0.75 | 57.46 (4) | 1:57.67 (3) | 2:58.27 (3) | 3:58.72 (3) | 4:59.41 (3) | 6:00.06 (3) | 7:00.80 (3) | 8:01.59 (3) | 9:03.05 (3) | 10:04.25 (3) | 11:05.92 (4) | 12:08.15 (4) | 13:10.50 (4) | 14:12.85 (4) | 1:00.21 (3) / 1:00.60 (3) | 1:00.45 (3) / 1:00.69 (3) | 1:00.77 (4) / 1:00.74 (3) | 1:00.79 (3) / 1:01.46 (4) | 1:01.20 (3) / 1:01.67 (4) | 1:02.23 (5) / 1:02.35 (4) | 1:02.35 (4) / 1:01.26 (6) | | |
| 5 | – | Carlos Garach | ESP | 15:20.84 | 0.67 | 57.31 (3) | 1:57.87 (4) | 2:58.99 (4) | 4:00.44 (5) | 5:02.33 (6) | 6:03.10 (5) | 7:04.35 (5) | 8:06.18 (5) | 9:08.07 (5) | 10:10.47 (5) | 11:12.68 (5) | 12:14.86 (5) | 13:17.24 (5) | 14:19.75 (5) | 1:00.56 (5) / 1:01.12 (6) | 1:01.45 (6) / 1:01.89 (6) | 1:00.27 (5) / 1:01.25 (5) | 1:01.83 (5) / 1:01.89 (5) | 1:02.40 (6) / 1:02.21 (5) | 1:02.18 (4) / 1:02.38 (5) | 1:02.51 (5) / 1:01.09 (5) | | |
| 6 | – | Emir Batur Albayrak | TUR | 15:23.21 | 0.65 | 57.76 (5) | 1:58.55 (6) | 2:59.37 (6) | 4:00.47 (6) | 5:01.81 (5) | 6:03.55 (6) | 7:05.51 (6) | 8:07.87 (6) | 9:10.42 (6) | 10:12.70 (6) | 11:15.02 (6) | 12:17.63 (6) | 13:20.28 (6) | 14:23.11 (6) | 1:00.79 (6) / 1:00.82 (5) | 1:01.10 (4) / 1:01.34 (5) | 1:00.55 (6) / 1:01.96 (6) | 1:02.36 (6) / 1:02.55 (6) | 1:02.28 (5) / 1:02.32 (6) | 1:02.61 (6) / 1:02.65 (6) | 1:02.83 (6) / 1:00.10 (3) | | |
| DNS | – | Marwan El-Kamash | EGY | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | | |
| DNS | – | Vlad Ștefan Stancu | ROU | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | | |